Incumbent Outlines Priorities Ahead of Deadline

As part of an election feature by Black Press Media, incumbent Mayor Tom Dyas has presented his priorities for another term leading Kelowna ahead of the Oct. 17, 2026, municipal vote. Black Press Media invited the three official mayoral candidates—Dyas, Ron Cannan, and Andrew Uitvlugt—to submit video interviews and 500-word written statements by Oct. 1, with submissions published as received. All candidates completed the video segment, while Dyas was among those participating in the written portion.

Public Safety and Housing Commitments

Public safety remains a core pillar of Dyas’s platform. If re-elected, he pledges to create 75 new frontline public-safety roles and install a continuous 24/7 security presence across both Downtown and Rutland. He also advocates for a Treatment First strategy for addiction recovery, calling on the province to provide mandatory compassionate care, expanded detox capacity, and a regional recovery facility. Reflecting on his first term, Dyas noted that the city recruited 33 RCMP officers, 17 Bylaw Enforcement Officers, and 18 firefighters, contributing to three consecutive years of declining crime rates.

Addressing local housing, Dyas highlighted that Kelowna’s rental vacancy rate climbed from under 1 per cent in 2022 to 6 per cent. He cited the city’s 180 tiny homes, which helped over 125 individuals move into permanent or supportive housing, as part of his strategy to expand affordable living options and streamline development approvals.

Infrastructure and Community History

To reduce traffic congestion, Dyas plans to advance key road developments, including extending Clement Avenue, widening Glenmore, replacing the KLO Bridge, and improving Burtch, Hollywood, Stewart, and South Mission roads. He is also urging provincial support for a new Regional Transit Facility and a second lake crossing.

Dyas, a former business owner of 40 years and two-term Kelowna Chamber of Commerce president before his 2022 election, shared a historic local note: following a 1969 fire that destroyed the city’s old Aquatic Centre and Stadium, insurance funding helped establish the original Parkinson Recreation Centre, which the city is now working to replace.

Conservative Plan Focuses on Rural ER Closures

Speaking outside 100 Mile District General Hospital on Monday, Oct. 5, Lorne Doerkson announced that a B.C. Conservative government would establish a $50-million emergency fund to support rural medical practices. Doerkson, the party’s interim leader and incumbent MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin, said the funding aims to prevent closures and assist with recruitment.

During the campaign stop, Doerkson noted that the local emergency department had experienced 39 announced shutdowns throughout 2026, though last-minute locum coverage allowed Interior Health to reopen the facility on several of those occasions. Overall, the ER remained closed well over 30 times. Doerkson pledged to maintain approved 2026 healthcare funding levels, fast-track credentials for foreign-trained Canadian physicians, and recognize provincial medical qualifications automatically to aid frontline staffing.

Community Impact and NDP Response

Former Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett joined Doerkson, emphasizing that local residents and seniors rely on the emergency room, with some traveling up to an hour and a half for care. Local resident Amber Vigh, whose nine-year-old son Carter died at the hospital from an asthma attack in 2023, also voiced support for keeping the facility open continuously.

In response, B.C. NDP leader David Eby and party representatives criticized the Conservative proposal, questioning how the party would fund its healthcare promises without making service cuts. The NDP pointed to their own strategy of funding system investments through a proposed tax on high earners and millionaires. Doerkson countered that the proposed tax could deter new physicians from moving to British Columbia or prompt current doctors to leave.

Okanagan Stops Highlight Key Platforms

With campaign momentum building ahead of the Oct. 24 provincial election, B.C. NDP Leader David Eby and B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson made separate campaign stops in Vernon over the weekend to connect with voters in a highly competitive riding.

Eby arrived on 30th Avenue on Saturday with a campaign bus to support local NDP candidate Harwinder Sandhu and several other area candidates, including Loyal Woolridge, Kory Clark, Gloria Morgan, and Binny Boparai. Speaking to roughly 80 attendees, Eby emphasized his party’s commitments to manage living costs, highlighting plans to temporarily suspend the 10-cent provincial motor fuel tax and place controls on gas prices. He also detailed a grocery proposal aimed at permitting new competing stores near established ones, which he stated can reduce annual household bills by an average of $700. In his remarks, Eby pointed to international factors as well, attributing current economic strains partly to impacts from U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies.

Conservatives Outline Policies and Address Election Timing

Doerkson hosted a meet-and-greet on Friday, Oct. 2, drawing over 100 people to Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery alongside local Conservative candidate Kevin Acton. Earlier that morning in Summerland, Doerkson announced a half-billion-dollar wildfire initiative that includes purchasing a fleet of water bombers. Discussing economic measures, Doerkson highlighted a proposal to eliminate the 10 per cent PST on Canadian alcohol and focus on reducing interprovincial trade barriers as strategies to counter U.S. tariffs. He noted that health care, employment, and the economy remain the primary concerns raised by residents. Expressing frustration over the timing of the election call, Doerkson affirmed that his party remains focused on the upcoming vote.

Focus on the Local Contest

Both leaders used their appearances to rally support for their local representatives in the Vernon-Lumby contest. Eby praised Sandhu’s record of community-focused advocacy, noting her past electoral success in the area. Meanwhile, Doerkson commended Acton—who is also seeking re-election as mayor of Lumby—for his ongoing local leadership. Acton has committed to vacating his municipal seat and funding a municipal by-election should he be elected to provincial office.