UPDATED:
In Peachland, incumbent Cindy Fortin and challenger Harry Gough tied for first with 804 votes each following a recount.
According to the District of Peachland, during the election, a voting machine misfed a ballot, jamming the machine. The incident was documented at the time, said Polly Palmer, the chief election officer.
The district has now applied for a judicial recount. The hearing application will take place on Friday, October 26th, 11:30 a.m. in Kelowna.
If, following the judicial recount, the mayoralty race is still tied, a draw will take place to decide the winner. The judicial recount must take place before Nov. 2.
ORIGINAL:
In Peachland, Harry Gough has been elected as mayor in a race that was decided by one vote. Gough had 804 votes while runner-up and incumbent Cindy Fortin had 803 votes. Both had 34.2 per cent of the vote, according to unofficial results posted by CivicInfo BC.
Overall, five people were running for mayor, including Eric Hall (372 votes), Keith Thom (346 *votes*) and Bob Henderson (16 *votes*).
Earning seats on council were Patrick Van Minsel, Pete Coolio, Terry Condon, Pam Cunningham, Keith Fielding and Mike Kent.
Below is the full list of mayoral and councillor candidates.
Candidates
Mayor:
Cindy Fortin (incumbent)
Harry Gough
Eric Hall
Bob Henderson
Ernie Hurd
Keith Thom
Council:
Terry Condon (incumbent)
Pete Coolio
Pam Cunningham (incumbent)
Keith Fielding
Rick Ingram
Mike Kent (incumbent)
Andrew Kwaczynski
Karen Mustartd
Leanne Sarsons
Patrick Van Minsel
Mario Vucinovic (incumbent)
Boundary
Peachland is located on the shore of Okanagan Lake, south of Westbank and West Kelowna.
Population (2016)
5,428
History
Peachland takes its name from a real estate development that was established by J.M. Robinson.
The development became a townsite that would become a municipality in 1909.
Fur traders were the first non-Indigenous people to the area after they came north from Fort Okanagan between 1820 and 1835.
Gold would be found in the Cariboo, and the Okanagan Valley would be flooded with prospectors looking for the mineral, but none would be discovered there.
Robinson was one such prospector, but the taste of a peach from the region convinced him he could find a bigger treasure growing fruit than by digging rocks out of the ground.
The First World War took a toll on Peachland as only 18 of 33 local men who went overseas came home.
Peachland’s orchards would see plenty of activity in the 1920s but then the Great Depression hit in the 1930s.
The area would endure a rough winter in 1949/1950, with cold weather hurting a number of fruit trees that then had to be replanted.
Orchards were eventually left to rot as people sought work in areas that provided steadier incomes.
Sawmills and a mine would provide employment for some time.
Today, Peachland is seen as an attractive community for retirees. Much of the money residents make comes from outside the municipality.
Median total income of couple economic families with children (2015)/B.C. median
$105,728/$111,736
Crime Severity Index (CSI) — 2016/B.C.
49.78 (+22.82)/93.63 (-0.71)
Violent Crime Severity Index (CSI) — 2016/B.C.
9.11 (-50.60)/74.86 (-9.81)
Political representation
Federal
Dan Albas (Conservative)
Provincial
Dan Ashton (BC Liberal)
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