Marcel St. Louis, the man at the centre of the election sign tampering case during the recent Osoyoos municipal election resigns as market manager at the Osoyoos Farmers’ Market.
The market manager is the only paid position in the Osoyoos Farmers Market Society.
St. Louis has managed the Osoyoos Market on Main (rebranded the Osoyoos Farmers’ Market in spring 2022) for five years, “resigned in the wake of activity during the recent municipal election campaign that he determined would discredit the society,” the Osoyoos Farmers Market Society said in a statement today.
St. Louis was captured on video removing an election campaign sign of mayoral contender Dustin Sikora who contends multiple signs were stolen over a period of just over a week.
St. Louis claimed he was only playing a practical joke by replanting the sign near the Husky gas station where truckers would be able to see the sign. Sikora was Canada’s 5th largest financial supporter of the so-called “Freedom Convoy”, having donated $23,000 to the movement.
He also pleaded ignorance over the fact tampering with an election sign is against the law. Osoyoos RCMP investigated the incident but have not forwarded their findings to the BC Prosecution Service and hence no charges have been laid to-date. According to the B.C. Election Act, unauthorized removal or defacement of election signs is punishable by a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for a term not longer than one year, or both.
The board of directors of the Osoyoos Farmers Market Society declined to accept the resignation of society president Janis St. Louis, Marcel St. Louis’ wife.
“The board determined it would be inappropriate to act based solely on guilt by association,” the society said in its statement. Janis St. Louis was the designated campaign finance manager for then-incumbent mayor Sue McKortoff but claimed to have had no prior knowledge of her husband’s actions.
Marcel St. Louis was caught “red-handed” removing an election sign belonging to Osoyoos First mayoral candidate Dustin Sikora.
As a result of Marcel St. Louis’ resignation, the Osoyoos Farmers Market Society will be seeking a market manager for the 2023 season.
The Osoyoos Farmers Market Society is administered by volunteers and provides a venue for vendors who market grown-local fruits and vegetables, baked goods, wine, cider, beer, and spirits and made-local artisan crafts.
The market runs from May through to October each year at Town Hall Square in downtown Osoyoos. The society does not receive any funding or other assistance from the Town of Osoyoos, but has received ad hoc provincial funding in the form of a grant.
The Osoyoos Farmers’ Market is a member of the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets.
