The deadline to enter the 2022 municipal election has passed and Castlegar will see two candidates running for mayor and seven candidates running for the six council seats.
Mayor:
Sitting councilor Maria McFaddin will be running for mayor.
“I have spent the past few weeks in conversation, and thought over what would be the right decision for Castlegar going forward,” said McFaddin in her announcement. “I have considered the weight of the job, and I have come to the conclusion that I can not only do it, but I believe that I have a unique skill set that is needed at this time in Castlegar.”
McFaddin was first elected to council in 2018.
Former mayor Lawrence Chernoff has also entered the mayoral race. Chernoff was mayor from 2005 - 2018 and held a council seat before that. He lost his seat and 2018 and also made an unsuccessful bid for mayor in the 2021 byelection called to fill the vacant mayor’s position after the resignation of Bruno Tassone.
Incumbent mayor Kirk Duff will not be running again due to health issues.
Council:
Councillor Sue Heaton-Sherstibitoff is running again. She has been on city council since 2011 and had been considering a run at mayor but says she thinks she can best serve the people of Castlegar by continuing on as a councillor.
“I am very proud of everything we have done, but there is still more work to do and I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and continue to bring my advocacy for our community, decision-making skills, leadership, and experience to the table.”
Cherryl MacLeod has been on council since 2018 and is running again.
“I’ve really enjoyed serving my community and being an integral part of moving us forward these last four years, but I don’t feel like my work is quite done yet,” said MacLeod when announcing her candidacy.
Incumbent Brian Bogle is also running again. He was first elected in the 2021 byelection.
“The next four years will be important as we move forward to bring more housing to Castlegar, continue to focus on reliability of the airport, downtown revitalization plans, economic development, business attraction and retention as well as working with other levels of government to get funding and medical services to help those in need,” said Bogle on his reasons for running again.
Former city councilor Florio Vassilakakis (2013-2021) is once again running for a council seat. Vassilakakis stepped down in 2021 to run for mayor in the byelection.
Vassilakakis said the decision as to whether to run for council or mayor was a difficult one.
“The last 18 months sitting on the sidelines has given me a different vantage point — one that has not only given me more clarity about the issues and who I am, but it has also reaffirmed the importance and priority of my young children and my wife Rebecca,” said Vassilakakis. “… I do believe that I have a lot more to accomplish with the rest of council and I am committed to the serving the public like I always have.”
Shirley Falstead unsuccessfully ran in the city’s 2021 byelection for a council seat, but is taking another shot at it in this election.
Falstead says she believes she has a skill set that will help with the city’s housing shortage as well as boosting economic development.
Sandy Bojechko is also running again for a council seat after an unsuccessful bid in the 2021 byelection.
Darcy Bell is also seeking a council seat. He has not participated in a Castlegar election previously.
“As we come into an election that will bring many fresh faces to City Hall, I felt this would be a good opportunity to bring my perspective to the larger conversations that are taking place,” said Bell. “As the owner of a small business, someone who works for a local employer and someone who has been involved in multiple facets of our community I feel that I have something to bring to the table.”
Current councillors Dan Rye and Bergen Price will not be running again.
Sept. 9 was the deadline for municipal, regional district and school board candidates across the province to file their nomination papers. Province-wide lists of candidates can be found at localelections.ca/candidates.
Regional District of Central Kootenay:
In the Regional District of Central Kootenay, two candidates are running in Area J, and only one in Area I.
Area I (Rural Castlegar): Andy Davidoff has been the Area I director for 11 years and is uncontested in the 2022 race.
“I am standing for reelection to continue being a strong advocate for enhancing the rural quality of life Area I residents have chosen in each of our distinct communities and to continue to ensure respectful and sustainable ‘neighbour-friendly’ development and land use,” said Davidoff.
Area J (Lower Arrow/Columbia): Henny Hanegraaf and Kim Tassone are both running for the Area J director’s seat.
Henny Hanegraaf is a retired union rep.
She says, “I decided to run for the director of Area J because I believe public service is important and that I can make a positive contribution to my community. I believe the skills I’ve developed over my working life will transfer well into representing the people of Area J.”
Kim Tassone says, “I look forward to serving Area J as I have lived in the district for the past 40 years. I believe I understand the needs of the constituents, and will work hard to continue the good work of past directors while looking towards future needs.”
READ MORE: Most SD 20 trustee seats filled by acclimation
City of Castlegar voting
City of Castlegar voters will have the option to request mail-in ballots. Mail ballots can be obtained by completing an application and submitting a signed copy by 4 p.m. on Sept. 23, 2022.
Advanced voting will take place on Oct. 5 and Oct. 12 between 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. at the Castlegar & District Recreation Complex (located at 2101 6th Avenue).
General voting day is Saturday, Oct. 15 from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. at the same location.
More election details including how to register to vote can be found at castlegar.ca.
READ MORE: Castlegar Search and Rescue aids lost hiker
newsroom@castlegarnews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter