Voters reject plan to incorporate Sorrento, Blind Bay into B.C.’s newest municipality

A pair of small communities in British Columbia’s Shuswap region have voted against incorporating together into the province’s 162nd municipality.

Residents of Sorrento and Blind Bay rejected the proposal by nearly 10 to 1 on Saturday, with 2,027 votes against and 272 votes for.

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The two communities, home to about 5,200 people, are currently governed by the Columbia Shuswap Regional District as a part of Electoral Area C.

Incorporation would have granted residents more local representation, but come with an increase in property taxes.

Preliminary studies into the concept began in 2016, and in in February, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District released a study exploring the concept.

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In March, the CSRD board recommended that residents put the idea to a vote in a referendum.

A “yes” vote would have started the process to turn Sorrento and Blind Bay into a municipality with its own government separate from the CSRD.

Instead, the area known as Electoral Area C will now be divided into two smaller areas, each with their own elected representative to the CSRD board.