Chilliwack municipal election 2026
Five questions for Chilliwack’s mayor and council candidates
I have asked every candidate running for Mayor and Council to share what they would do about five issues that matter to me as a Chilliwack resident.
I chose issues that affect daily life and some may receive less attention during an election: food-producing spaces in multi-unit developments, the right to air-dry clothing, recycling and organics in multi-unit housing, the drug-poisoning crisis, and indoor air quality during wildfire smoke.
This is an independent voter project. These are not the only issues in this election, and some require action from more than one level of government. The questions ask candidates to distinguish between what the City can do directly and what they would advocate for elsewhere.
I posted the questions to the candidates Facebook pages when I could. For some candidates I had to use their website contact form or direct email. At least one candidate has no clear way to contact.
I used the Civic Info page (opens in new tab) as my main reference for contact information. Many of the Facebook page links are broken. I contacted the City staff responsible and was told that they only post what is provided so it’s up tot he candidates to contact the City with working links.
How responses will be handled
- Every mayoral and council candidate receives the same five questions in the same order.
- Answers are published exactly as submitted, apart from basic formatting.
- I will not score, rank, summarize or endorse candidates on this page.
- A missing response will be reported neutrally.
The five questions
I prefaced the questions with at least this intro:
“I have some questions. Sending these to all candidates and will collect any responses received and share publicly. Thank you in advance 🙂”
1. Food security climate resilience and land use rules
Some residents in multi-unit buildings are told that city plans, development requirements or building rules limit their ability to replace ornamental landscaping with community gardens or food-producing plants.
With food costs and climate risks increasing, would you support a public review of Chilliwack’s plans, zoning and development rules to identify and remove unnecessary barriers? What specific changes would you support, and what would you be willing to do during your four-year term?
2. The right to air dry clothing
Some rental and strata buildings prohibit residents from drying clothing on balconies, even when it could be done safely using a freestanding drying rack. Air-drying clothing reduces household electricity use, but residents may have little ability to challenge rules imposed by landlords, property managers or strata corporations.
Would you support asking City staff to examine what Chilliwack can do to prevent unreasonable restrictions on air-drying clothing in rental and strata buildings? Would you also advocate to the Province for a right to dry that protects both tenants and strata residents while allowing reasonable safety standards? If elected, what specific action would you take during your four-year term?
3. Recycling and organics in multi-unit buildings
Residents of apartments and other multi-unit buildings do not always have convenient access to recycling and organics collection. Education and enforcement also appear to be uneven.
What would you do to improve access, compliance and clear public education in multi-unit housing? What would you be willing to do during your four-year term?
4. The drug poisoning crisis
The drug-poisoning crisis is a complex health and social crisis involving all levels of government. The City cannot solve it alone, but it influences land use, local partnerships, public safety and some community services.
What role should Chilliwack play in helping people access treatment, recovery, housing and other supports when they are ready to receive help? What specific municipal actions would you support during your four-year term?
5. Wildfire smoke and indoor air quality
Wildfire smoke is increasingly affecting outdoor and indoor air quality in the Fraser Valley.
Would you support stronger indoor-air-quality requirements for new buildings where the City has authority, including HVAC systems capable of higher-efficiency filtration? Would you advocate to the Province for stronger building-code standards and funding or incentives to help older buildings improve filtration and ventilation? What would you be willing to do during your four-year term?
Response status
Status will be updated as replies arrive and a page created with their responses will be linked in the table below. Candidates who have not replied are listed as awaiting response. All links open in a new tab.
Mayoral candidates
| Candidate | Status | Date received |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Lum | Awaiting response | |
| Gary Raddysh | Awaiting response | |
| Martina Rosini | Awaiting response | |
| Farooque Syed | Awaiting response |
Council candidates
| Candidate | Status | Date received |
|---|---|---|
| Sue Attrill-Knott | Awaiting response | |
| Kevin Baarda | Awaiting response | |
| Danielle Beausoleil | Awaiting response | |
| Darren Blakeborough | Awaiting response | |
| Brent Bowker | Awaiting response | |
| Nilsana Charkhandeh | Awaiting response | |
| Steve Czeck | Awaiting response | |
| Nicole Huitema Read | Awaiting response | |
| Steve Just | Response page posted | Oct 2, 2026 |
| Zeeshan Khan | Awaiting response | |
| Leanna Kemp | Response page posted | Oct 2, 2026 |
| Chris Kloot | Response page posted | Oct 2, 2026 |
| Trevor McDonald | Awaiting response | |
| Daryl Moniz | Response page posted | Oct 2, 2026 |
| Lisa Morry | Awaiting response | |
| Jared Mumford | Awaiting response | |
| Raylene Mumford | Awaiting response | |
| Ghazaleh Nozamani | Awaiting response | |
| Luke Zandberg | Awaiting response |
Candidate responses
Select a candidate’s name from above to read their answers. This section will be updated as responses arrive.
Election information and background sources (links open in new tab)
- City of Chilliwack 2026 election information
- Chilliwack Chamber Election Hub
- BC Strata Property Act Part 7
- Union of BC Municipalities Clothesline Act resolution
- BC Community Charter Part 2
- CivicInfoBC page
Official election dates, voting locations, eligibility rules and candidate declarations should be confirmed with the City of Chilliwack. (Link opens in new tab)