LOCAL

BRACE for Change Council Candidates Questioned Over AI Use and Platform Scope

Kelowna council candidates in the BRACE for Change slate face questions over AI-generated campaign content while offering Safer Communities as a focus of concern ahead of the October election.

Published

1 month ago

July 31, 2026

Current News Room

BRACE for Change Launches Municipal Campaign

In a July 31, 2026 column, Wilbur Turner examined “BRACE for Change” (Businesses and Residents Against Crime Everywhere), a political slate campaigning ahead of Kelowna’s October municipal election. The coalition includes council candidates Michael Harris, Humberto Morales and JC Rathwell, with a fourth position remaining open.

The slate’s platform emphasizes safer streets, accountability, support for small businesses, common-sense decision-making and transparency. Those priorities may resonate with residents and business owners concerned about crime, public disorder and the effect these issues have on neighbourhoods and commercial areas.

Safety Message Offers Hope to Concerned Residents

Turner criticized the campaign’s repeated use of the term “common sense,” arguing that it is a populist expression lacking specific policy detail. That is a reasonable challenge for any campaign: broad principles must eventually be supported by practical proposals, costs and measurable goals.

However, the language may also reflect genuine hope among community members who want municipal leaders to place a greater focus on safe streets and neighbourhoods. Residents should not be dismissed for believing public safety is foundational to a healthy city. People are more likely to use parks, support local businesses and participate in community life when they feel secure.

BRACE for Change will ultimately need to demonstrate how its priorities would translate into effective municipal policy. Its focus on safety, however, speaks to a concern shared by many people across the community and deserves a substantive response.

AI Allegations Should Be Treated Carefully

Turner also reported testing material from the BRACE for Change website with an AI-detection tool. He said the results suggested that some text or videos may have been machine-generated, raising questions about whether the campaign’s messaging reflects the candidates’ own views.

Candidates should be transparent about how they develop campaign material, including any use of artificial intelligence. However, an AI detector’s result is not proof that content was generated by AI. These tools can produce false positives and may incorrectly flag concise, formal or heavily edited human writing.

OpenAI withdrew its own text-classification tool because of its low accuracy and cautioned that such classifiers should not be used as a primary decision-making tool. That experience illustrates why detector scores should be treated as an indication for further inquiry rather than a conclusive finding.

The more meaningful test is direct accountability. Voters can ask the candidates whether they stand behind the material, request specific policy commitments and assess whether their answers remain consistent under public scrutiny.

A Broader Municipal Debate

Turner argued that concentrating primarily on crime risks taking too narrow a view of municipal government. Kelowna’s council must also address housing, transportation, infrastructure, climate resilience, economic development and reconciliation with the Syilx Okanagan Nation.

Those responsibilities do not make public safety irrelevant. A productive election debate should examine how safety fits into a broader plan for the city while requiring BRACE for Change—and every competing candidate—to offer detailed, workable policies.

The coalition’s campaign now provides voters with another choice and creates an opportunity for a serious discussion about safety, accountability and the future of Kelowna. Its success will depend on whether it can turn a hopeful message about safer communities into credible municipal action.

Link to Original Story

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LOCAL

What to Know About the Official Candidate List for Kelowna’s Upcoming Election

The official candidate list for the Kelowna municipal election on Oct. 17 is finalized, featuring candidates for mayor, city council, and school board trustee.

Published

14 hours ago

September 12, 2026

Current Editor

Kelowna Candidates Set for General Local Election

Voters in Kelowna will head to the polls on Oct. 17 following the official finalization of the candidate list for mayor, city council, and school board trustee positions. Interested individuals had until Sept. 11 at 4 p.m. to hand in their official paperwork at City Hall.

Mayoral and Council Candidates

Three individuals are competing for the office of mayor, including incumbent Tom Dyas, former councillor Ron Cannan, and resident Andrew Uivtlugt.

Meanwhile, more than 30 candidates are seeking election to the eight available city councillor seats. Among those competing are incumbents Rick Webber, Mohini Singh, Gord Lovegrove, and Maxine DeHart.

The remaining candidates running for council include Susan Ames, Les Bellamy, Christopher Bocskei, Doris Bregolisse, Nikki Csek, Greg Dahms, Todd Daniels, Indy Dhial, Crystal Dougan, Tim Down, Julia Fraser, Daniel Fritter, Bal Grewal, King James, Hamid Khajavi, Kevin Kraft, Davis Kyle, Teresa May, Trevor McAleese, Randy Millis, Humberto Morales, Brian Pinter, Jay Rathwell, Brady Rogers, Brian Rogers, Mike Rose, Todd Sanderson, Corey Severin, Glendon Smedley, Silverado Socrats, Laura Thurnheer, Lee-ann Tiede, and Rob Wilkinson.

Further Information

Details regarding the 2026 general local elections are available online at elections.bc.ca.

LOCAL

What to Know About West Kelowna’s Uncontested Mayoralty and Council Race

Stephen Johnson will become West Kelowna’s next mayor uncontested on Oct. 17, while 13 candidates compete for six city councillor seats in the election.

Published

14 hours ago

September 12, 2026

Current Editor

Uncontested Mayoral Race

With the candidate submission deadline now passed for the upcoming municipal election in West Kelowna, Stephen Johnson will become the city’s next mayor. Johnson, who previously served as a councillor under former mayor Gord Milsom, is running uncontested heading into the Oct. 17 election.

Thirteen Candidates Seek Six Council Seats

While the mayoral seat is secured, a 13-resident field is competing for the six available councillor positions. The race includes four incumbents seeking re-election: Tasha Da Silva, Rick de Jong, Garrett Millsap, and Carol Zanon.

Joining the incumbents on the ballot for the six council seats are Gary Buckberry, Justin Chapman, Bradley Dobbin, Ken Grant, Tom Groat, Dane Landry, Beau Langevin, Miranda McMullin, and Chris Moyer. Further details regarding the 2026 general local elections are available at elections.bc.ca.

COMMUNITY

New Agreement to Bring Forestry Jobs and Management to Osoyoos Indian Band

The Osoyoos Indian Band and Gorman Group partner through Similkameen Forest Products Ltd. to manage TFL 59, bringing jobs and local planning to the OIB.

Published

14 hours ago

September 12, 2026

Current Editor

Direct Role in Planning TFL 59

A new partnership between the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) and the Gorman Group, signed via Similkameen Forest Products Ltd., ensures the OIB will participate directly in managing Tree Farm Licence 59. Located in the band’s traditional territory east of Oliver, the forest licence area will now involve early-stage planning by Nk’Mip Forestry LLP, the OIB’s forestry company.

Community Benefits and Local Economic Impact

The joint arrangement focuses on keeping local forestry benefits within the community. “This partnership will help create more jobs, specific training opportunities, and longer-term revenue for the Osoyoos Indian Band and our people,” said OIB Chief Clarence Louie. He added that the agreement enables the OIB to build skills and experience for future responsibilities while strengthening its position in the local forest economy.

Balancing Cultural Priorities and Industrial Supply

Nk’Mip will collaborate with Similkameen Forest Products Ltd. to plan proposed harvest sites. Their work will incorporate considerations for wildlife habitat, forest health, water quality, wildfire resilience, and sites of cultural or traditional importance. Norm Druck, South Zone Woodlands Manager for the Gorman Group, emphasized the area’s dual significance, noting that this portion of land represents the cultural heartland of the band—supporting traditional medicines, food, jobs, and spiritual well-being—while also supplying timber for the Gorman Group’s regional manufacturing facilities.