ForChange Kelowna names eight recommended council candidates
Rob Gibson - Oct 2, 2026 / 9:25 am | Story: 633112
Photo: Rob Gibson
A volunteer group called ForChange Kelowna has recommended eight candidates for Kelowna city council ahead of the Oct. 17 municipal election.
A citizen-led group, including Rick Maddison, host of the One Foot Off Center podcast, and Ron Mattiussi, also on that podcast's panel, has released its list of recommended candidates for Kelowna city council ahead of the Oct. 17 municipal election.
ForChange Kelowna announced Friday morning that it is recommending Les Bellamy, Maxine DeHart, Indy Dhial, Davis Kyle, Mohini Singh, Laura Thurnheer, Lee-Ann Tiede and Rick Webber. The names are listed alphabetically, not by ranking says an email from ForChange Kelowna.
The picks come from an independent committee of eight volunteer residents. Members include former city councillors André Blanleil and Ryan Donn, former city manager Ron Mattiussi, Quails' Gate proprietor Tony Stewart, former city human resources director Charlene Covington, executive leader Alison Yesilcimen, business executive TJ Grewal and media marketing agency owner Rick Maddison.
“I was really impressed by the depth of the process. We took the time to get to know the candidates, hear directly from them and have some very thoughtful discussions as a committee.
"We didn’t always agree, and that made the conversations and the process even stronger," says committee member Blanleil.
The group says it reviewed candidate questionnaires, held structured interviews, attended candidate forums and deliberated before making its decisions. Candidates were assessed on experience and qualifications, leadership track record, community involvement, understanding of municipal governance, collaborative decision-making and vision for the city.
The committee says members debated candidates vigorously, and some strongly backed people who did not earn the full group's consensus. It also aimed to balance new perspectives with continuity from previous council service.
Consensus doesn’t mean we agreed on every candidate," says Maddison.
“There were thoughtful disagreements and strong advocates around the table. What mattered was that everyone was heard and that our final recommendations reflected the collective assessment of the committee after a very thorough process."
ForChange Kelowna says it is not affiliated with a political party, slate, business group or outside organization. It was created to help residents navigate a crowded council ballot and says its recommendations are meant to inform voters, not tell them how to vote.
By: Castanet; Rob Gibson
