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Summerland voters choose council experience

Six of seven members of new council have served in the past.
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There were two candidates in the Summerland mayoral race, with Doug Holmes receiving 73.4 per cent of the votes cast for mayor. (John Arendt - Summerland Review)

Summerland voters elected a municipal council with plenty of past experience in local government.

At the local government election on Oct. 15, six of the seven people elected have served at the council table in the past.

Doug Holmes, a councillor for the past eight years, was elected mayor with 73.4 per cent or 2,634 votes, compared to Chuck Pinnell who received 859 votes.

Among the 13 councillor candidates, incumbents Erin Trainer, Marty Van Alphen, Richard Barkwill, Doug Patan and Janet Peake have all served as Summerland councillors in the past. They will be joined by Adrienne Betts, a newcomer to the council table.

READ ALSO: Holmes to seek position as Summerland mayor

READ ALSO: Pinnell on ballot as Summerland mayoral candidate

Other candidates on the ballot were Blair Parker, Nick Redding, Mark Smed, Toni Boot, Brad Besler, Doug Loepp and Peter Bognar.

Boot was the only candidate from the past council not to win a seat at the table. She had served as Summerland’s mayor from 2018 to 2022 and was a councillor from 2014 to 2018. Erin Carlson, a councillor from 2014 to 2022, did not seek re-election.

Holmes said the mayoral campaign felt like a long process.

“I’m grateful to the voters of Summerland that they put their support in me,” he said after the results were presented. “We’re going to have an experienced council, which is good. People like the direction we’re heading.”

During the next council term, Holmes said the council will face some big issues including a new aquatic centre to replace the aging pool downtown. Watershed issues will also be a priority for the new council, he said.

Pinnell offered thanks to his wife and his mother for the sacrifice they made during his run for office, as well as to friends who helped him with his campaign.

“I say thank you to the past mayor and council for their service. To the new mayor and council, I say congratulations and good luck,” he said.

READ ALSO: Summerland councillor candidates share their values with public

Trainer, who received more votes than any other councillor candidate, said she is looking forward to her third term as a councillor.

“It’s a very big responsibility,” she said. “I’m so glad the people of Summerland elected me again.” She added that the new council will face a lot of challenges including Summerland’s roads up to climate change issues.

The new council will have its inaugural meeting on Nov. 7.

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A total of 13 councillor candidates were on the ballot for the Summerland municipal election. Those elected were Erin Trainer, Marty Van Alphen, Richard Barkwill, Adrienne Betts, Doug Patan and Janet Peake. Five of these six have served at the Summerland council table in the past. (John Arendt - Summerland Review)


John Arendt

About the Author: John Arendt

John Arendt has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years. He has a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism degree from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.
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