Voters across the mid-Island elected multiple new Mayors and Council members on Saturday. (Dreamstime)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

new faces

Election 2022: Complete mid-Island election results

Oct 15, 2022 | 10:56 PM

NANAIMO — Many surprises dotted the election landscape across the mid-Island with new Mayors in multiple communities in addition to a slate of new councillors, trustees and RDN directors.

The City of Parksville will be under new leadership as incumbent councillor Doug O’Brien (2,695 votes) comfortably beat incumbent Mayor Ed Mayne (1,225).

O’Brien will be joined at the table by just one incumbent councillor, Adam Fras (1,697), with Amit Gaur (2,310), Mary Beil (1,954), Sean Wood (1,938), Sylvia Martin (1,559) and Joel Grenz (1,530) elected.

“I’m looking forward to providing a little more transparency and a little more concentration on making sure we have the necessary infrastructure,” O’Brien said. “Parksville’s going through a building boom and it’s no secret and the thing is we’ve been discovered.”

Teresa Patterson and Marilyn Wilson were not returned for additional terms after serving between 2018 and 2022.

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Also with a new Mayor is the Town of Qualicum Beach as Teunis Westbroek (2,819) reclaimed the top job over incumbent Mayor Brian Wiese (1,565).

Incumbents Anne Skipsey (3,022) and Scott Harrison (1,715) were returned and will be joined by Petronella Vander Valk (2,181) and Jean Young (1,724). Robert Filmer (795) was the lone incumbent not to be re-elected.

Qualicum Beach voters also rejected two referendum questions.

Voters were not in favour of increasing the Town council from four to six councillors by a roughly 60-40 margin.

They also rejected by a similar margin the notion for the Town to spend up to $700,000 on refurbishing the St. Andrew’s Lodge building.

In Lantzville, Mark Swain (1,345) comfortably held onto his job as District Mayor over lone challenger Stan Pottie (184).

Joining Swain at the table are councillors Jonathan Lerner (1,104), Ian Savage (1,066), Joan Jones (1,064) and Rachelle Mundell (880).

Regional District of Nanaimo voters elected former SD68 trustee Jessica Stanley in Area A, Lauren Melanson in Area C, Leanne Salter in Area F and Lehann Wallace in Area G.

Vanessa Craig (Area B), Bob Rogers (Area E) and Stuart McLean (Area H) were all acclaimed.

The nine member School District 68 board of trustees will also have a largely new look with four incumbents being joined by five new members.

Naomi Bailey (10,395), Tania Brzovic (10,001), Greg Keller (8,981) and Charlene McKay (8,761), who served as Board Chair, were re-elected.

Leana Pellegrin, Mark Robinson, Leanne Lee, Chantelle Morvay and Tom Rokeby will join the table.

Tanner Scott, who was escorted out of a Gabriola Island meet and greet days before the election after showing graphic photos of gender reassignment surgery in response to a question on SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) finished 11th out of 12 candidates.

In Nanaimo, Leonard Krog retained his seat at the head of the Council table for a second straight term.

Five incumbents will join him as Sheryl Armstrong, Ian Thorpe, Ben Geselbracht, Tyler Brown and Erin Hemmens were all returned to Council. Paul Manly, Janice Perrino and Hilary Eastmure will join them.

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