Nominations for Local Office Open Until September 11
By Jo Anne Malpass
The nomination period for general local elections in BC runs from Tuesday, September 1 to Friday, September 11. This includes nominees for directors in Areas C and G in the Columbia Shuswap Regional District and for School District 83 (K̓wsaltktnéws ne Secwepemcúl'ecw) trustee, Electoral Area 3, South Shuswap, North Shuswap, Sorrento/Blind Bay.
As of September 10, incumbent directors Marty Gibbons, Electoral Area C, and Natalya Melnychuk, Electoral Area G, have announced their intention to seek re-election. For School Trustee, incumbent Corryn Grayston has announced her candidacy for Electoral Area 3, while Melissa Parmenter has announced her candidacy for Electoral Area 4 (Salmon Arm).
The final list of candidates will be announced on Friday, September 11.
General voting day is Saturday, October 17.
Natalya Melnychuk
Natalya Melnychuk wrote “It has been an honour to serve Area G over the past four years. When I first put my name forward in 2022, I was grateful to be acclaimed and entrusted with representing our community. I am proud of the work I have contributed to, particularly maintaining balanced taxation while supporting key community assets such as our halls, parks, local water utilities and non-profit organizations.
There is more work ahead to manage growth responsibly, strengthen local services and carefully steward our community’s resources. Area G deserves an engaged, locally grounded and constructive voice at the CSRD. I would be honoured to continue working on your behalf and hope I can count on your support.”
Marty Gibbons
Marty Gibbons’ release said he “has kept taxpayers’ interests at the centre of decision-making by setting clear priorities, supporting sustainable development, and focusing on practical results for Area C communities.”
Communication, transparency and accountability remain central to his approach, ensuring residents are part of the decision-making process and understand how those decisions affect communities.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done together to drive fiscal responsibility, while investing in community safety, local infrastructure and parks, improving quality of life across Area C.”
“For me, this work is about serving the Area C communities I grew up in with care, common sense, and respect,” said Gibbons. “There is more work ahead and I would be honoured to earn residents’ support so we can keep moving Area C forward together.”
Melissa Parmenter
Melissa Parmenter has announced her candidacy for School District 83 trustee for Area 4 (Salmon Arm) in the upcoming 2026 local government election.
In her own words, Melissa shared the following about her decision to run: “Being heavily involved with various PACS and DPAC over the last 15 years my passion for helping kids thrive in school has grown. I have sat on the budget advisory board for the past 2 years and am well versed in budgets, policies, and the unique challenges of our district. If elected I will strive to: (1) Improve student supports and sense of community, setting them up for better success. (2) Listen and have open communication with parents and all partner groups. (3) Advocate for more funding for infrastructure, programs, and supports. “
Corryn Grayston
(School Trustee Corryn Grayston had not released a statement at press time.)
Information for CSRD director nominees is at https://www.csrd.bc.ca/503/Candidate-Information
Nominees for school district 83, www.sd83.bc.ca/2026-School-Trustee-Elections
