(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS - Incumbent councillors often have advantages in local elections because they have name recognition and if that holds true again on voting day, Oct. 20, there will be just two open seats.

With 21 candidates for council and two for mayor, we found six fresh faces that have never run for office before.

Dale Bass

Retired newspaper reporter Dale Bass says local politics runs in her family.

“My dad was a city councillor in my hometown London, Ontario,” she says.

Bass retired from her position as a reporter earlier this year and says her decision to run for council took time.

“I was sitting at home and I thought ‘all I do is criticize’ which I did, I did a lot of criticism of city hall, a lot of praise but also a lot of criticism and my mother always taught me if you’re going to criticize someone you should be part of the solution,” she says.

Bass says she wants to see more growth in Kamloops's economy. Some of her plans include bringing in more jobs by expanding the innovation sector and attracting new businesses.

One way of doing this, Bass says, is by making the process to pass a development proposal at city hall more easily.

“I have business friends that are in their sixth or seventh month of trying to get a simple expansion approved,” Bass says, adding that it shouldn't be this hard for entrepreneurs looking to expand within the city.

For more information on Dale Bass’ platform visit her website here.

Corally Delwo

Corally Delwo is a self-employed mother of three. She was born and raised in Alberta and moved to Kamloops in 2009.

Delwo has her own small tanning and nail salon business. The candidate has no previous political experience. Her platform focuses on supporting road maintenance, park upgrades, traffic issues surrounding the city’s schools and reducing needles on the streets.

"I want to be the one everyone in this city counts on to initiate change, growth, and prosperity for Kamloops," Delwo says on her Facebook page.

Go here for more information on Delwo's platform.

Alison Klie

Klie is taking her first run at local politics in this year’s local election. The electrician was born and raised in Kamloops and is one of the youngest candidates in the race.

Klie was present at the first all-candidates forum this past weekend and says she would like to see more transparency between city hall and the rest of the Kamloops community.

“My passion is promoting more transparency in local government and community engagement, I really believe that so far the disconnect between the city and the rest of council has been really difficult, because its been so hard to find that extra information, it should be available and easily accessible to everyone,” she says.

For more information on Alison Klie go here.

Shawn Harnett

Harnett is the owner of a local startup called Kamloops Tents and Events Rental. The father of two says he wants to bring more expansion of small businesses.

"I'm advocating for small businesses, they are the heroes of our economy," Harnett says. "I would like to see more (business) growth in Kamloops."

Harnett says his entrepreneurial experience will help him if he is elected for city council.

"I want to run the city like a business, I'm very level-headed and I can make the right decisions," he says.

Go here for more information on Shawn Harnett.

William James Turnbull

Turnbull is the only other candidate running for the mayor’s seat. Turnbull says other than his experience as president of the downtown neighbourhood association and unsuccessfully running for his high school student council, his experience in politics is limited but his experience elsewhere makes him qualified for the mayor’s job.

“I represent a section of the population that is tired of not being heard, and that ranges from all walks of life, doctors, lawyers, to the guys sleeping in the ditch, I have many people that support me,” he says. "There's a very clear distinction between myself and the incumbent."

Turnbull says he is also in favour of proportional representation.

Go here for more information on William James Turnbull.

Chris Bose

Bose is a local Indigenous artist, workshop facilitator, and educator looking to bring more diversity around the council table. He says his main platform points are accessibility, inclusion, and affordability.

Bose says he is looking to bring more opportunities to youth in the area. He says his experience working with various community organizations and school districts will help him continue his work if elected into city council.

For more on Chris Bose go here.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Karen Edwards or call (250) 819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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