Castanet, Revelry Kelowna holding first candidate forum tonight
Updated: 1 day ago
Castanet - Sep 16, 2026 / 8:27 pm | Story: 631376
UPDATE 8:30 p.m.
The forum has now concluded. A replay of the event can be watched above. Castanet will have coverage of the forum on Thursday morning.
ORIGINAL 4 a.m.
Seven Kelowna city council candidates will take the stage tonight for the first of three Castanet election forums at Revelry.
Mohini Singh, Davis Kyle, Tim Down, Indy Dhial, Laura Thurnheer, Bal Grewal and Hamid Khajavi will face questions about local issues and their priorities for the city.
The forum gets underway at 6:30 p.m. at Revelry, 1383 Ellis St. Doors open at 6 p.m.
The event is free and no tickets are required, but seating is first-come, first-served and space is limited. A meet-and-greet with candidates will follow upstairs from 8 to 9 p.m.
Castanet has partnered with Revelry and ForChange Kelowna to organize three forums featuring up to 21 council candidates ahead of the municipal election.
Candidates appearing on the forum stage were selected by ForChange Kelowna from those who submitted responses to the group's questionnaire. The eight-member ForChange steering committee includes people with backgrounds in business, local government and the non-profit sector.
ForChange chair Rick Maddison said the group is looking at candidates' understanding of governance, taxation, fiscal responsibility and the issues facing the city.
"We hope more people come out. We hope more people get informed," Maddison said.
"This forum is a chance for us to really dive deeper into the questions, the issues."
Questions for Wednesday's forum have been gathered from Castanet readers, the newsroom and the ForChange committee. People attending the event will also have an opportunity to submit questions electronically.
The forums come as Kelowna prepares for significant turnover at city hall. At least four new councillors will be elected this fall because several incumbents are not seeking another term.
The remaining forums are scheduled for Sept. 24 and Oct. 1, with seven council candidates expected to participate each night.
ForChange is accepting additional candidate questionnaires until Sept. 18. The organization plans to make its own ballot recommendations in early October. Castanet is not involved in those recommendations.
Those unable to attend Wednesday's forum in person can watch it live on Castanet.
Photo: Contributed
The first seven Kelowna council candiates to take the stage at Revelry at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Clockwise from top left: Mohini Singh, Tim Down, Hamid Khajavi, Indy Dhial, Davis Kyle, Bal Grewal and Laura Thurnheer.
By: Castanet; Castanet
