Casey Brouwer came out ahead in the November by-election for a new Osoyoos school trustee. The outcome was challenged by second-place finisher Penny Duperron, who pointed out that the school district was required to run two advance polls and they only ran one. (Richard McGuire photo)
Casey Brouwer said he was ready to step into his new role as a school trustee for Osoyoos following his by-election win in early November.
Brouwer was elected with 40 more votes than his closest rival Penny Duperron. John Redenbach finished a distant third.
“I feel very honoured to be selected,” said Brouwer. “Honestly it was a bit of a nail biter because I know Penny is very passionate about it and she had a good campaign. I’m happy that I was chosen, but if I wasn’t running, I probably would have voted for Penny.”
Brouwer’s victory was in large part assisted by a strong showing in the advance poll of Oct. 26, where he picked up 83 votes, compared to 27 each for his two rivals.
The votes cast on the general voting day of Nov. 5 slightly favoured Duperron, who had 184 to Brouwer’s 168. Redenbach got 60 votes.
The by-election was held to fill a vacancy after long-time trustee June Harrington announced this summer that she was stepping down.
School District 53 Board Chair Marieze Tarr said she has known Brouwer for at least 10 years, both sitting together on the Osoyoos Recreation Board and having Brouwer coach her sons.
“I am excited to work with Casey,” she said. “New trustees bring new ideas, points of view and energy to the board table.”
Days after the vote, Duperron announced she felt the election should be declared invalid because the board contravened the Local Government Act by not holding a second advance poll during the election.
Chief Election Officer Lynda Minnabarriet confirmed this by saying they only held one advance poll, noting it was an “oversight.”
On the same night Brouwer was sworn in as the new trustee last night, Duperron said the onus is on the board to address the error.
Duperron said the board should make an application to the BC Supreme Court to overturn the election.
However, Tarr said the board, according to the Local Government Act, does not make this decision.
Duperron decided to apply to the B.C. Supreme Court to overturn the election results and hold a new by-election and her submissions were heard in a Kelowna courtroom over the Christmas holidays.
A judge from Kelowna is expected to rule on her application early in the new year.
When Premier Christy Clark said in a television interview in July that a majority of people in the South Okanagan don’t want a national park and that surveys back her up, there was much scratching of heads.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the Osoyoos Times for information on the survey or polls Clark referred to has come up empty.
“Although a thorough search was conducted, no records were located in response to your request,” said a letter received last week from Cindy Elbahir, manager, Central Agency Team, Information Access Operations with the provincial government.
Clark made the claim in a July 12 interview with Rick Webber of Global Okanagan.
When Webber corrected the premier and pointed out that polls show a majority supports a national park reserve, Clark responded: “Well, there’s competing surveys.”
In fact, a poll by McAllister Opinion Research, released in April 2015, showed two-to-one support for a national park among residents of Boundary-Similkameen and three quarters support in Penticton.
The only other scientific poll on the subject was done by the same Vancouver-based polling firm in 2010 and showed a smaller majority supporting a national park.
The Osoyoos Times’ FOI request asked the premier’s office to provide tables and methodology of the survey or poll Clark was referring to in her response to Webber.
The request asked only about surveys or polls released after Jan. 1, 2011.
Although there was a 6,000-name petition opposing the park in 2005, the Osoyoos Times has not found any record of a scientific poll.
Asked if the premier was wrong in referring to “competing surveys,” park supporter Doreen Olson replied: “I think she’s probably misinformed.”
Clark’s office was invited to respond to this story. A statement from her office said:
“Premier Clark’s comments were referring to the extensive amount of community consultation, dialogue, media commentary, and public feedback on the South Okanagan National Park proposal that has taken place over the past few years. In particular, she was alluding to the fact much of this feedback has shown the issue to be extremely divisive within the region, with local residents split on the creation of a full national park in the area. Her comment was not intended to suggest government was relying on a single survey or poll to guide its actions on this issue.”
Olson, however, was surprised by Clark’s comments.
OSOYOOS TIMES STAFF
Osoyoos Times
There was great excitement amongst some shoppers at the Osoyoos Buy-Low grocery store in November as Academy Award-winning actor Nicolas Cage dropped in to purchase a large order of groceries. Cage is seen above with Buy-Low employee Denise Gray. Cage was in Osoyoos where he’s the lead star in the new Canadian science-fiction thriller called The Humanity Bureau. (Facebook/Mary Fry)
Dorothy Fairbairn (centre) holds the honorary lifetime membership to the Osoyoos Museum that she was presented with by manager Kara Burton and board president Mat Hassen. Fairbairn, who came to Osoyoos as a young girl and has lived here for much of her life, is moving to the Lower Mainland. She’s played an important role over the years both at the museum and in the Osoyoos art scene. (Richard McGuire photo)
There were many soups with imaginative and tasty ingredients made by local chefs at the Empty Bowls fundraiser for Desert Sun Counselling and Resource Centre. Here Sean Peltier and Alana Egli of Jojo’s Cafe served a soup of roasted butternut squash with vanilla beans. (Richard McGuire photo)
Anne Polischuk, manager of the United Church Thrift Shop, modelled a hot item from her store at the Soroptimists’ fall fashion show in November. (Richard McGuire photo)
Dr. Robert Ritchie read the names of the Honour Roll, the men from Osoyoos who gave their lives in war, during 2016 Remembrance Day ceremonies. (Richard McGuire photo)
Mike Cudmore, at 8308 Kingfisher Drive, loved Halloween as a kid. He has just as much fun as an adult decorating his house and front lawn for Halloween. This is the fourth year he’s done it, but it was bigger and better than previous years. One child told him his house was the greatest. (Richard McGuire photo)
