FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. - Trevor Bolin has been elected mayor of Fort St. John, defeating incumbent Lilia Hansen by more than 1,400 votes in Saturday’s civic election.
Preliminary results show Bolin received 2,934 votes, compared with 1,521 for Hansen. That gave Bolin roughly 65 per cent of the vote.
Bolin said his campaign platform was built around what he had been hearing from residents.
“It was about building our community. It was about building it safer. It was about growing,” said Bolin. “Everything that I went forward with in this campaign was literally designed from feedback of residents over the last four to six years.”
Bolin said he believes that message was reflected in the result.
“I think that is probably where some of those large numbers came from,” he said. “That 65 per cent win was literally based on residents’ needs and wishes.”
Fort St. John mayoral results
| Candidate | Advance | General | Total votes | Vote share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Bolin | 1,476 | 1,458 | 2,934 | 65.3% |
| Lilia Hansen | 723 | 798 | 1,521 | 33.9% |
Voter turnout reaches 27.5 per cent
A total of 4,490 ballots were cast from an estimated 16,325 eligible voters, putting turnout at 27.5 per cent, according to figures calculated by Elections BC and published with the city’s preliminary results.
Bolin said the turnout represented a significant increase in participation.
“First off, thankful, grateful, humbled,” he said. “We were 10 per cent up. So, even though people don’t think that 27.5 per cent is that high, it is the highest in about 25 years in Fort St. John.”
He said he hopes the election marks the beginning of more residents becoming involved in municipal politics.
“It’s the beginning of people getting back involved again. It’s the beginning of people understanding that they can have their say, they can be a part of local government,” Bolin said.
Fort St. John voter turnout
| Election measure | Total |
|---|---|
| Estimated eligible voters | 16,325 |
| Ballots cast | 4,490 |
| Voter turnout | 27.5% |
Hansen thanks Fort St. John after defeat
Hansen, who entered the election as the incumbent mayor, thanked residents following her defeat and congratulated the incoming mayor and council.
“Serving as your Mayor has truly been one of the greatest honours of my life,” Hansen said in a statement. “I’ve had the privilege of working alongside incredible people, advocating for our community, celebrating our successes, and navigating some difficult challenges. I am so proud of what we have accomplished together.”
Hansen also said she intends to remain involved in the community, saying her commitment to Fort St. John “has never been about a title” and that she will continue to be a champion for the city.
Six councillors elected
Incumbent Gord Klassen topped the council race with 3,050 votes, narrowly ahead of incumbent Sarah MacDougall, who received 3,026.
Incumbents Jim Lequiere and Tony Zabinsky were also re-elected. They will be joined by Lucas Wuthrich and Kevin Stigners, who captured the final two council seats.
Fort St. John council results
| Candidate | Votes | Vote share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gord Klassen | 3,050 | 67.9% | Elected |
| Sarah MacDougall | 3,026 | 67.4% | Elected |
| Jim Lequiere | 2,618 | 58.3% | Elected |
| Tony Zabinsky | 2,538 | 56.5% | Elected |
| Lucas Wuthrich | 2,443 | 54.4% | Elected |
| Kevin Stigners | 2,163 | 48.2% | Elected |
| John Lambert | 1,502 | 33.5% | |
| Jane Drew | 1,494 | 33.3% | |
| Ovvian Hill | 1,355 | 30.2% | |
| Avery Cox | 1,104 | 24.6% |
Voters say yes to aquatic facility borrowing
Fort St. John voters also approved borrowing for a proposed new aquatic facility.
The ballot question asked voters whether they supported the city adopting Aquatic Facility Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 2635, 2026, allowing it to borrow up to $90 million over a term of up to 30 years to construct an aquatic facility that includes aquatics and an indoor field house.
The referendum passed with 2,965 Yes votes, compared with 1,436 No votes.
Aquatic facility borrowing referendum
| Choice | Advance | General | Total votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| YES | 1,482 | 1,483 | 2,965 |
| NO | 687 | 749 | 1,436 |
Bolin, who said he served on the advisory committee, described the result as a clear direction from voters.
“It was truly nice last night to see that it was residents of Fort St. John who decided yes to a brand new aquatics facility,” he said.
Bolin said the next challenge will be securing outside money for the project.
“Now is our job to get to work to secure grants and funding and partnership and sponsorship,” he said. “Getting it to this point was the easy part. And now the real work comes in.”
Bolin outlines first priorities as mayor
Bolin said attainable housing will be among his first priorities when the new council gets to work. He specifically identified reducing development cost charges as one avenue he wants to pursue to make it easier for builders to construct homes families can afford.
He also pointed to attracting additional businesses and industry and pursuing his public-safety proposals as early priorities for the coming term.
Bolin will be the mayor-elect until the swearing-in, which is scheduled for Novemeber 2.