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ALLEY CHO lley
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Rockies’ drought ends with two wins
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EARLY ICE A family of happy skaters enjoys the newly formed ice on the Windermere shoreline on Saturday, November 15th. PHOTO BY NICOLE TRIGG
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Election results reveal status quo for Columbia Valley STEVE HUBRECHT steve@invermerevalleyecho.com Unofficial results are in for this past weekend’s municipal elections, and the valley has voted resoundingly to keep things the way they are, with incumbents returning to office in every race. In the only mayoral race in the valley, incumbent Canal Flats mayor Ute Juras beat challenger Dean Midyette 200 votes to 83 votes. For Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Area F, incumbent director Wendy Booth held off newcomer Andrea Dunlop, 396 votes to 252. “It’s a great feeling to be able to continue representing the residents of Area F. I’m looking forward to working with all the community groups to be the best we can be,” said Booth. “I appreciate and thank all those that took the time to vote, and thanks to Andrea Dunlop for putting her name forward.” “It’s been an interesting ride (running
for office),” said Dunlop. “I congratu- munity,” said Midyette. late Wendy, I hope she has a good four With Juras and Booth re-elected, the years and that she keeps the impor- five Upper Columbia Valley seats at the tance of a publicly-owned water sys- RDEK board of directors will be almost tem (for Windermere) and the value of unchanged, with Juras and Booth rethe abattoir to the valley in mind.” joined by acclaimed incumbent InverIn Area F voting, Dunlop came out mere mayor Gerry Taft and acclaimed ahead at the Windermere and Colum- incumbent RDEK Area G director Gerbia Valley Chamber ry Wilkie. Even acof Commerce polling claimed new Radium I’m excited, of stations, while Booth Hot Springs mayor course, and came out on top at Clara Reinhardt (who the Fairmont polling looking forward to takes over from outgostation, and in mail-in working with the new ing Radium mayor Dee and advance voting. Conklin) is already a facouncil. “I’m excited, of UTE JURAS miliar face there, since CANAL FLATS MAYOR RE-ELECT she has acted as an alcourse, and looking forward to working ternate for Conklin at with the new council to finish our ongoing RDEK directors meetings in the past. projects and start new ones,” said Juras, Voter turnout in Invermere — the speaking of being re-elected in Canal Flats. only valley municipality to go to the “Congratulations to Ute and the four polls in both of the past two municipal councillors elected. I know they’ll work elections — was down dramatically hard to make Canal Flats a better com- from the 2011 election, with 760 of 2375
eligible voters (32 per cent) voting this year. In the 2011 Invermere election, which had two candidates running for mayor and 11 council candidates, voter turnout was 50.2 per cent with 1,112 of 2,213 eligible voters casting a ballot. In Canal Flats, 286 of 646 (or 44 per cent) of eligible voters turned out. There was no Canal Fats vote in 2011, when all candidates were acclaimed. Invermere’s low voter turnout and lower number of candidates this year was in contrast to neighbouring Kootenay communities. Golden with two mayor candidates and 12 council candidates had a 43 per cent voter turnout; Kimberley had three mayor candidates, eight council candidates, and a 50 per cent voter turnout; Cranbrook with three mayor candidates and 16 council candidates had just under a 40 per cent voter turnout; and Creston had five mayor candidates, 16 council candidates, and a 44 per cent voter turnout. See A3
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