Okanagan local elections, October 17, 2026

Municipal Election 2026 Candidate Survey

Where council candidates stand on homebuilding, infrastructure and local jobs, in their own words. Results will be shared with the members of three Okanagan building industry associations.

A joint project by:

About the Survey

A member awareness project for the 2026 local elections.

The Canadian Home Builders’ Association Central Okanagan, the Southern Interior Construction Association and the Urban Development Institute Okanagan have invited council candidates to answer a short questionnaire on homebuilding, community building and economic development.

Land use and development decisions make up much of a council’s work. Those decisions shape what gets built, what it costs, and who is employed to build it. Our members build the region’s homes, community facilities, roads, sewers and parks, and they want to know where candidates stand.

Together our associations represent more than 900 companies and an estimated 11,700 employees across the region.

1,682

construction businesses in the Central Okanagan, the largest count of any sector studied

$56,616

average construction income, well above tourism

98.5%

of firms in the region’s key sectors employ fewer than 100 people

Sources: Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission, Workforce Profile 2026; SICA, CHBA, UDI Membership Statistics.

How it works

For candidates running for council or mayor in the Central and South Okanagan.

1 Receive your invitation

Each candidate receives an email from the associations with a link to this page.

2 Complete the questionnaire online

Select your municipality, rank your top five council priorities, and answer ten yes or no questions. Space is provided to explain any answer. It takes about 15 minutes.

3 Submit by the deadline

Responses received by October 4th will be included. Late responses will be marked as not received.

4 Results are shared

Responses are shared with association members via this page before advance voting begins.

What we ask

The questionnaire covers five themes.

Council priorities

Candidates rank their top five issues for the coming term.

Housing and jobs

Whether new home construction and employment are a priority.

Cost of a new home

Municipal fees, approval times and the GST on new homes.

Where homes get built

Housing choice, ground-oriented homes and the growth boundary.

Who pays for growth

How infrastructure costs are shared between new and existing residents.

Key dates

September 28

Questionnaires sent to candidates

October 4

Responses due

October 5

Results published

October 17

General voting day

See where candidates stand

Read candidate responses for Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, West Kelowna and Lake Country.

Home Builders' Association

Central Okanagan

Construction Association

Southern Interior

Urban Development Institute

Okanagan Chapter

Survey results: All jurisdictions · Kelowna · Vernon · Penticton · West Kelowna · Lake Country

This survey records candidates’ own responses. It does not endorse any candidate.

Okanagan Building Industry

Candidate Survey