64.8%

60.9%

35.2%

39.1%

----------------------------------

2008 # votes at Killiney Beach, Dave Robertson = 143
2008 # votes at Killiney Beach, Jim Edgson = 141

2007 # votes at Killiney Beach, Dave Robertson = 185
2007 # votes at Killiney Beach, Jim Edgson = 157

Out of approx. 2000 eligible voters 2007
Total votes at Killiney Beach 2008 = 284
Total votes at Killiney Beach 2007 = 342

-----------------------------------

2008 # votes in the South, Dave Robertson = 67
2008 # votes in the South, Jim Edgson = 246

2007 # votes in the South, Dave Robertson = 49
2007 # votes in the South, Jim Edgson = 207

Out of approx. 5330 eligible voters
Total votes in the South 2008 = 313
Total votes in the South 2007 = 256

Advance Voting day, Wednesday November 5, 2008 and Wednesday November 12, 2008

Advance Voting will be available for qualified voters in Central Okanagan West Electoral at the following locations between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm:

• Lakeview Heights Baptist Church, 2630 Alhambra Drive, Kelowna

• Killiney Beach Community Hall, 518 Udell Road, Killiney Beach

On General Voting Day, the following voting locations are open for qualified voters between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm:

• Constable Neil Bruce Middle School, 2010 Daimler Road

• Killiney Beach Community Hall, 516 Udell Road, Killiney Beach

Advance voting opportunities have wrapped up in the 2008 Regional District of Central Okanagan Local Government Elections.

After two days of advance voting, 85 people cast a ballot in the Central Okanagan East Electoral Area and for Zone 1 School District No. 23 Trustee. That compares with 69 votes cast during Advance Voting in the 2005 election. Eligible District of Lake Country residents are also voting for Zone 1 School Trustee.

In the Central Okanagan West Electoral Area, 114 people voted in advance compared with 78 who voted in advance polls during the Regional Director election last November.

General Voting Day is scheduled for this Saturday, November 15th. In Central Okanagan East voting will be available at the Ellison Heritage School Community Hall (4411 Old Vernon Road), Joe Rich Community Hall, 11481 Highway 33 east and the Goudie Road fire hall (6550 Goudie Road). Central Okanagan West voters may cast their ballot at Constable Neil Bruce Middle School (2010 Daimler Road) and the Killiney Beach Community Hall (514 Udell Road in Killiney Beach).

Voters must bring along two pieces of acceptable identification that proves their current residence and who they are and one of those documents must have a signature on it. To qualify as a resident voter you must be at least 18 years of age on the day of voting; a Canadian Citizen, a resident of British Columbia for six months prior to voting day and a resident of the Electoral Area for at least 30 days before voting day.

People meeting the voting qualifications who live on Westbank First Nation Reserves #9 and #10 are eligible to vote in the Central Okanagan West Electoral Area Director election. If people have any questions about voting and qualifications and whether they live within the Electoral Area boundaries, they can check out the 2008 Election Information link , email info@cord.bc.ca or call 250-763-4918. By following these links you can find information on Who Can Vote, Where To Vote, How to Vote and When To Vote.

While the polls are open, for general information about Regional District Electoral Area elections only, please call the Regional District Election Hotline at 250-826-3657.

http://www.regionaldistrict.com/whatsnew.aspx

2007 HISTORY

Total votes in last election Nov 2007:
364 votes Jim Edgson
234 votes Dave Robertson
598 total votes cast

If you vote, your vote will count!

At Killiney Beach voting station only, in Nov 2007:
157 votes Jim Edgson
185 votes Dave Robertson
342 Total votes cast at Killiney Beach voting station

- Dave Robertson would have won by 28 votes, if it were just Killiney Beach voting station voters who were voting for Central Okanagan West director in  Nov 2007.

At all other voting stations Nov 2007, other than at Killiney Beach:
207 votes Jim Edgson
49 votes Dave Robertson
256 total votes cast at locations other than Killiney Beach voting station

- 2099 eligible electors in the North Westside, from Westshore Estates to LaCasa

- there were only 598 votes cast in 2007 out of approximately 7,449 eligible to vote.

- Population of Central Okanagan West 8,018 - 2006 census

- RDCO email June 2008 says: There are 3,126 parcels in the Central Okanagan West Electoral Area

- RDCO email June 25, 2008 says there are 2,136 parcels within the North Westside Fire Service Area contributing to the fire department.

- in 2007 at Killiney Beach a total of 342 ballots were cast and in other locations 256 ballots.  So in my eyes 256 other ballots beat out 342 Killiney Beach ballots.

- in 2007 there were 375 plus members of the North Westside Communities Association

Get out and vote, democracy is not a spectator sport!!

2007 Official Election Results

2007 Election Tally - count how many votes at each election station

A familiar race has shaped up in the North Westside Road area.

Incumbent director Jim Edgson and longtime resident Dave Robertson are both running in the Nov. 15 election for the Central Okanagan West electoral area. Both names were also on the ballot during a 2007 byelection.

“I have enjoyed working with the people of the area and I see a lot of projects coming forward that I want to remain involved with,” said Edgson of why he is seeking re-election.

“I’ve had a lot of encouragement from people to run.”

For Edgson, a number of key issues need to be pursued, including the condition of Westside Road.

“I also want to make sure there is responsible development and there’s the water study for Upper Fintry and Valley of the Sun.”

Edgson also believes there is a need for the electoral area to have a strong voice while the Central Okanagan Regional District is going through administrative restructuring.

Edgson is retired from the oil industry and he has owned land in the North Westside for 37 years, permanently living there since 1998.

Robertson says he decided to seek the director’s job because he is concerned about his community.

“We don’t have a voice out here. There are little groups pushing things through the regional district without public involvement,” he said.

Among the most pressing issues, according to Robertson, are the water study for Upper Fintry and Valley of the Sun, protecting the area from wildfire and a proposal from the fire department to purchase a fire boat.

“The new garbage transfer site has also been delayed through the bureaucracy,” he said.

“I’m only going to make one promise if elected. I will hold frequent town hall meetings and community meetings throughout the district.”

Robertson has lived in the North Westside Road area for more than 30 years and is a volunteer firefighter and geological consultant.

Incumbent Jim Edgson has thrown his hat in the ring, hoping to be re-elected as Central Okanagan West electoral area director.

One of the issues Edgson said he wants to see resolved in his next term is the disposal of pine beetle-killed trees, which are falling along Westside Road. One tree recently fell on the road behind him as he travelled to Kelowna.

Air curtain burners must be fired up to dispose of the dead timber, he said.

“It’s a safety issue. I would like to see a very strong action plan put forward early in the next term so that we can start to clean up that stuff.”

Another matter he’d continue to pursue is improvements for Westside Road. Edgson said he would continue to work with the Central Okanagan Regional District to lobby the provincial government for the upgrades.

“We’re going to continue to examine the priorities on that road and make sure improvements are going forward.”

On the subject of Crystal Ski and Golf Resort, he said he’d like to see the ski hill remain in his rural area for the foreseeable future, versus it joining the District of Westside.

“If it turns out that they can get better government from some municipality and the residents believe they can get better government and they see an advantage to doing so, I would encourage them to do so.”

The ski hill will likely remain in the electoral area through phase one expansion, he noted.

Edgson also said he’d support a study on the possible extension of sewers to Brent Road, south of Peachland. Residents there should be able to explore the matter without the threat of joining Peachland.

“From what I can gather the majority of people don’t want to join Peachland,” stated Edgson. “So we’ll look at the options they have, the costs involved to the residents and we’ll let them make a decision.”

Also in the works, is a water delivery system for Valley of the Sun and Upper Fintry subdivisions. He’d like to see a feasibility study brought forward for public input in the very near future.

Edgson added that he would continue to participate in the process that is exploring the development of a recreational management zone for off-road vehicles on 35,000 hectares above Okanagan Lake from Traders Cove to Fintry.

“As long as that progress leads to an enforceable, monitored system, whereby we mitigate damage to watersheds and provide a recreation outlet for families, I’m for that.”

If re-elected, he said he would also work closely with regional district planning staff to revise the official community plan.

“I’m very anxious that it will go forward so that the public can have input as to what the future of the community is going to be.”

He said he would also ensure all of the regional district’s environmental concerns would be addressed before the 68-waterfront-lot Rockchild Landing development proceeded south of Fintry.

Edgson will face off again against Dave Robertson in the Nov. 15 civic election. Edgson beat Robertson 364 to 234 last year.

For more information on Edgson’s platform visit www.edgson.ca. Robertson’s platform will be presented in a future issue.

jluciw "@" kelownacapnews.com

To the editor:

The current dilemma of “vote splitting” in our federal election deserves to be redefined.

Our votes cannot be “split” however our votes can and very often do go unrepresented due to a broken, outdated, unfair voting system (first past the post ).

The chances of getting fair election results using the current system are practically non-existent.

Using “first past the post” is like using a telephone that connects us to wrong numbers. If a majority government is formed with a minority of the votes no one gains.

The will of a minority imposed upon the majority will only further destabilize an already bad situation.

What is needed is a voting system that elects representatives to the government according to the percentage of votes cast (proportional representation). It is up to the public to make this an issue.

A fair voting system will not solve all our political problems, however it is the vital first step that must be taken to direct us toward a healthy political system in this country.


Dave Carter
Castlegar

To the editor:

We have just come through an election that had a lowest turnout ever. And I believe it’s because of our faulty electoral system. A system where a large percentage of votes don’t count. Also some votes that count for more than others.

Some examples are: the Green Party had the largest percentage gain in popular votes of any party of around three per cent, but didn’t win a single seat.

However the Conservative Party, that gained slightly more than one per cent, won 17 more seats.

Or the Bloc Quebecois had slightly more than 38 per cent of the Quebec vote but won over 66 per cent of the Quebec seats.

Just a couple examples of how some votes count for more than others.

As for the low turnout, again the Green Party had polling results of around 12 per cent before the election. Yet after the election it showed them at slightly less than seven per cent.

So one can easily assume that about five per cent of voters who would have voted for the Greens, never voted because they know that their votes wouldn’t count for anything. And I’m sure there were supporters of candidates for other parties that were unlikely to win, who did the same for the same reason.

So it’s very obvious that our electoral system needs to be changed to a more democratic type of system where every vote counts and is equal.

Orest Swintak,
Kelowna

In this coming November’s municipal election Lake Country voters will have a new voting option available to them.

In an amendment to the Local Government Act earlier this year, the legislative assembly empowered local government to allow mail ballot voting.

The new option will allow residents who travel south for the winter to have their voices heard at municipal elections and will help to ensure that council is as representative of the population as possible.

Voting by mail ballot is restricted to people meeting one or more of a set of requirements.

To be eligible a person must have a physical disability, illness, or injury that affects their ability to vote on a general or advance voting day. People who will not be in the area for general or advance voting are also able to register for mail ballot voting.

The mail packages contain a secrecy envelope that voters will place their marked ballots in so that confidentiality is not compromised.

To register for mail ballot voting electors must contact the chief election officer at the municipal hall. Registration takes place between Oct. 1 and 4 p.m. on the Thursday two days prior to general voting day. After receiving a ballot package it becomes the responsibility of the voter to ensure that the ballot is in the hands of the chief elections officer before the close of voting on Nov. 15.

In Killiney Beach area 1 there were:

Registered Voters 491

Valid Votes 245

Votes for Rick Thorpe 116

Votes for other than Rick Thorpe 129

In Killiney Beach area 2 there were:

Registered Voters 331

Valid Votes 185

Votes for Rick Thorpe 96

Votes for other than Rick Thorpe 89

In Killiney Beach and Fintry areas 1 and 2 there were:

Registered Voters 822

Valid Votes 430

Votes for Rick Thorpe 212

Votes for other than Rick Thorpe 218

In Killiney Beach, Fintry, plus Wilsons Landing areas 1, 2, and 3 there were:

Registered Voters 1264

Valid Votes 620

Votes for Rick Thorpe 324

Votes for other than Rick Thorpe 296

To the editor:

We have just come through an election that had a lowest turnout ever. And I believe it’s because of our faulty electoral system. A system where a large percentage of votes don’t count. Also some votes that count for more than others.

Some examples are: the Green Party had the largest percentage gain in popular votes of any party of around three per cent, but didn’t win a single seat.

However the Conservative Party, that gained slightly more than one per cent, won 17 more seats.

Or the Bloc Quebecois had slightly more than 38 per cent of the Quebec vote but won over 66 per cent of the Quebec seats.

Just a couple examples of how some votes count for more than others.

As for the low turnout, again the Green Party had polling results of around 12 per cent before the election. Yet after the election it showed them at slightly less than seven per cent.

So one can easily assume that about five per cent of voters who would have voted for the Greens, never voted because they know that their votes wouldn’t count for anything. And I’m sure there were supporters of candidates for other parties that were unlikely to win, who did the same for the same reason.

So it’s very obvious that our electoral system needs to be changed to a more democratic type of system where every vote counts and is equal.

Orest Swintak,
Kelowna