Municipal candidates on arts issues in Kelowna
Bonnie Gratz - Oct 2, 2026 / 11:00 am | Story: 633128
Photo: Bonnie Gratz
Members of the cast of Cabaret.
Culture Vote Kelowna 2026
Oct. 17 is municipal election day.
Last week seven of Kelowna’s professional cultural institutions (Kelowna Museums, Opera Kelowna, Alternator Art Gallery, Art Gallery of Kelowna, Okanagan Symphony and New Vintage Theatre) sent an arts and culture questionnaire to the candidates for mayor and councillor for the upcoming election.
The goal? To see where prospective candidates sit in terms of civic cultural policy. Thirty-nine questionnaires were sent and 16 responses were received by the deadline.
Without endorsing any candidates, here is who answered and what their responses were to the first of four questions.
To what extent do you agree that ensuring affordable, low-barrier access to arts and culture programming for all residents (regardless of income) is an essential municipal priority for livability?
Susan Ames: Strongly Agree
Les Bellamy: Strongly Agree
Doris Maria Bregolisse: Agree
Nikki Csek: Strongly Agree
Maxine DeHart: Strongly Agree
Indy Dhial: Agree
Tim Down: Agree
Kevin Kraft: Agree
Davis Kyle: Strongly Agree
Gord Lovegrove: Strongly Agree
Trevor McAleese: Strongly Agree
JC Rathwell: Strongly Agree
Mike Rose: Strongly Agree
Todd Sanderson: Strongly Agree
Mohini Singh: Strongly Agree
Laura Thurnheer: Strongly Agree
Optional follow up: How should Council work with non-profits to absorb rising production costs so that quality arts programming remains affordable and accessible for everyday families as Kelowna grows?
Ames: The city needs to have a budget line that is for the support of the arts including our heritage. The city's fiscal resources are sourced from the community to provide for a livable city. Affordability for all is so important. The city needs to hear from the greater arts group on a regular basis.
Bellamy: I believe the city should work in partnership with our arts and culture organizations, but the answer cannot simply be for taxpayers to absorb every increase in operating or production costs. We should look for ways the city can help reduce barriers and costs through access to facilities, predictable funding agreements, partnerships, sponsorship opportunities and by helping organizations leverage provincial, federal and private funding. I also think we need to recognize that affordability matters on both sides. Arts organizations are facing increasing costs, but so are the families we want attending their performances and programs. The goal should be to help our cultural organizations remain financially sustainable while keeping arts and culture accessible to as many Kelowna residents as possible.
Bregolisse: I'd like to support the local arts attaining new funding by looking into city staff assisting them with grant applications. I would also like to see the city better promote local arts programs through an annual city organized initiative I've been developing called "Taste of Kelowna Arts". I would like to see Water Street closed for a Sunday afternoon in May and provide venue space to all of your groups to showcase small shows to the public. I think we could even have all arts schools display information tables at Memorial Arena to educate the public on what is available for all-ages learning opportunities.
Csek: I believe Kelowna is ready for a performing arts centre, and I think this council has the potential to put it on the capital plan, which would be a real legacy for this community. But before we talk about new money, we need to do something more basic: a full audit of every funding and finance line in the city budget. I believe there are dollars sitting in programs that are no longer priority one, and a careful review can free them up for things that matter more to residents today. One of those things is access.
I’d want to pilot a program that grants tickets to low-income families and individuals, measure whether it works, and scale from there. This isn’t about growing the budget; it’s about being a responsible steward of the dollars we already have and making sure they’re pointed at the right priorities. I don’t have the exact figure or the exact year yet, because that audit hasn’t happened. But I know the questions to ask, and I’m committed to asking them.
DeHart: Arts and Culture are an important part of what makes Kelowna a great place to live and for all ages to enjoy. To do this, we must explore partnerships, perhaps sharing facilities, target specific funding, find sponsorship opportunities, all while working with organizations to find efficiencies. We need to be good stewards of the taxpayer's dollars while still making sure quality arts programming remains accessible and affordable as our city grows. Working together is the key to making this happen.
Dhial: Council should work with arts and culture non-profits on predictable multi-year funding, affordable access to city facilities and coordinated applications for provincial, federal and private funding so rising costs are not passed on to families. We should also reduce unnecessary permitting expenses and encourage shared spaces, equipment and services among organizations. Support should be tied to clear outcomes, including affordable, inclusive programming in neighbourhoods across Kelowna.
Down: Council can support accessibility without assuming responsibility for absorbing every increase in production costs. I would favour transparent, competitive funding based on demonstrated community benefit, financial sustainability, accessibility and measurable outcomes. The city can also help organizations control costs through efficient use of city-owned cultural facilities, shared spaces and services, longer-term planning certainty, partnerships and collaboration among organizations. Municipal funding should be used strategically to leverage provincial, federal, philanthropic, sponsorship and earned-revenue opportunities rather than becoming the sole response to rising costs.
Where public funding is provided, I would encourage organizations to demonstrate how that support translates into public access, such as affordable performances, community programming, youth participation, reduced-cost admissions or other measurable benefits. Kelowna’s creative sector is economically significant and an important part of a vibrant, livable city. As the community grows, council should work with the sector through the new cultural plan to establish sustainable priorities while recognizing that cultural funding must be considered alongside other municipal responsibilities and the ability of taxpayers to fund them.
Kraft: Council should build strong relationships with local non-profits, help promote their programs, and look closely at the local costs impacting their bottom lines. Local governments are also facing increasing downloading of responsibilities from senior governments, which ultimately puts more pressure on taxpayers. That is not a sustainable path. We need to work with non-profits and other levels of government to find practical solutions that keep quality arts programming affordable and accessible for families.
Kyle: My platform discusses cheaper, faster permitting for outdoor community events and increased investment in community performance spaces like bandshells or similar low-cost performance locations. When it comes to production costs specific to quality arts programming, I think the provision of low-cost office spaces is a path forward, following in the footsteps of Knowles Heritage park as a corollary to (authentic) heritage home preservation. The City of Kelowna should have a comprehensive look at arts grants to community organizations to deliver the best value for community arts and should ensure that theatre costs are lowered for local non-profit arts organizations, from the KCT Black Box to Mary Irwin. I also want to see inter-jurisdictional pressure and lobbying to OC in order to deliver more reliable booking for their theatre. In the long run, we need to deliver more abundant and affordable cultural galleries, performance spaces, and office space. This is inherent to the discussion of the new Kelowna Performing Arts Centre, which I do support strongly, as a longtime patron and active participant in the local arts. In the grand scheme of things, we also need to recognize that the city, both inside the cultural district and outside of it, has an enormous indirect power of the arts, all flowing from land use bylaws and regulations.
This recent About Here video talks about how cities have been killing nightlife in communities, many items are applicable to Kelowna. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmLO69c_fyw
We need to talk about how artists won't live in a city if the cost of living is too high, and that private galleries or performance venues cannot exist if their rent or triple-net lease makes operations unprofitable. Reforming on zoning, tax codes, and OCP to encourage housing affordability, walkable retail locations similar to the zoning that allowed buildings which house Actors' Studio or Calowna Costume, is all a critical component to allowing the arts to thrive in a community. We should also work to support tourism, as we should support all parts of our economy, as that has a big knock-on effect in support of the arts. Lower-wage jobs often found in the arts, just like lower-revenue businesses in the arts, are often pushed out first by increases in the cost of living or operating. That is a major area of focus for me and my campaign.
Gord Lovegrove: Partnerships are key to affordability, and keeping pace with inflationary pressures in the face of competing priorities. There is only one taxpayer, so partnerships with coalition memberships, businesses, volunteer community organizations (e.g. Rotary), grants agencies (e.g. Central Okanagan Foundation, Provincial gaming, Federal culture), tourism agencies (TOTA, Tourism Kelowna, hotels) will be critical. Lets get Creative Kelowna!!
Trevor McAleese: One way is for Council to advocate on behalf of non-profits operating in Kelowna's arts & culture sector to bring federal funding home. Programs such as the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund can help ensure that sufficient financial resources are at hand for venue renovations and the purchase of new equipment needed for executing productions. Given how competitive the application process for this funding is, strong advocacy from a unified Council would help to ensure that Kelowna's arts community receives highly valuable grant investment from higher levels of government.
Rathwell: Council should treat arts nonprofits as core community partners, not just “nice to have” line items and work with them on multiyear stable funding instead of year to year uncertainty. That means smarter use of municipal grants, fair access to city owned spaces, and avoiding sudden fee or rent increases that push ticket prices out of reach for working families.
I’d also support clear, simple criteria for cultural funding that prioritizes accessibility and family friendly pricing, so organizations aren’t forced to choose between artistic quality and affordability as costs rise. My platform at VoteForMeOrDont.com already emphasizes making Kelowna livable for residents, not just visitors.
Rose: Kelowna has already committed to a new cultural plan which meets this criteria exactly.
Todd Sanderson: Arts and culture contribute to Kelowna’s quality of life, community identity, tourism, and local economy, and access should not be limited only to those who can afford rising ticket prices. Council should provide predictable, multi-year operating grants, affordable access to municipal venues, and shared promotional or administrative support that helps non-profits control costs. Funding decisions should be transparent and tied to measurable outcomes such as attendance, accessibility, community programming, and local economic impact. The goal should be a genuine partnership that protects affordability while ensuring responsible use of taxpayers’ dollars.
Singh: By helping not just financially but providing free space at city owned facilities to non-profits to be able to present their art and engage with the public. Also look for possibilities to use city communication avenues to promote the events. I would also like to get staff to help non-profits with leg work to set up events.
Thurnheer: Affordable, low-barrier arts and culture are a necessary part of a liveable city. Funding recommendations:
1. Create a culture access fund. Set aside money each year to cover free and low-cost tickets, pay-what-you-can performances and free family days at partner organizations. Distribute tickets through community agencies, libraries and schools.
2. Build accessibility into grants. Give extra weight in grant scoring to organizations offering low-income, youth, senior and accessible programs. Recognize the higher cost of delivering them.
3. Grow the Advancing Equity Micro Grant. This $500 grant supports equity-seeking communities that might not otherwise get support. Raise the amount and the total budget.
Facility recommendation:
Cheaper city spaces for public programs. Lower or waive rental fees at city facilities when non-profits run free or low-cost public programs there.
A great city isn't just one where people can afford to live. It's one where every family can afford to take part. I'll support a culture access fund so income is never the barrier between a child and a concert, a gallery or a stage.
These are the responses to the first of four Culture Vote questions. Hungry for more? Check out all of the questions and the candidates responses or lack of responses here.
On Oct. 17 get out and vote at your local polling station which will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For more details about where to vote, go here.
By: Castanet; Bonnie Gratz
