A small, picturesque B.C. village — best known as a getaway spot, but lately for dysfunction among its elected officials — will vote to choose a new mayor and councillor following their resignations.
It's the second byelection for the municipality of 1,500 residents in two years. In 2023, a councillor resigned after stating he couldn't work with Mayor Ed Wood and was replaced in a closely fought byelection last September . In June, Wood resigned after alleging three councillors were ganging up against him and a sympathetic councillor.
Harrison Hot Springs mayor resigns amid ongoing council acrimony That set the stage for another byelection , with a vote to replace Wood and fill one of the four council seats set for Sept. 21. Councillor John Allen resigned his seat to take another shot at mayor, a position he's held before.
He says if elected, he will stop the discord on council and prioritize council issues that have stalled, such as woodlands management, fireproofing the village from the threat of wildfires and ensuring public safety. Challenging him in the byelection are Fred Talen , a relative newcomer to Harrison, and Greg Dykstra , a former Mountie, who has long been active in the community and at municipal hall. Talen is a former land claims negotiator in the Northwest Territories and says his experience in conflict resolution will benefit the village.
"The dysfunction on the village council, as well as being disappointing to witness, has been dividing the town and .