Kelowna mayor to seek re-election
Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas will seek re-election in October (Image Credit: City of Kelowna)
The major question in Kelowna city politics has been answered: Mayor Tom Dyas is running again.
In announcing his intensions Tuesday, Dyas said when he came into office four years ago the city got back to basics and invested in housing, roads, recreation and services… and now it’s time to keep building.
Under his leadership the city added 33 more RCMP officers, 17 Bylaw Enforcement Officers and 18 firefighters, and expanded frontline safety programs.
His decision to run again assured voters of a mayoral race in the fall election with councillor and former MP, Ron Cannan, already running for the top job.
Dyas came to City Hall after nearly 40 years of building a family-run business, including the last 30 years in Kelowna.
A media release stated, in part, under Dyas’s leadership, Council strengthened its financial approach, accelerated infrastructure investment, and secured significant partnerships and grant funding.
New Statistics Canada data show Kelowna’s Crime Severity Index declined again in 2025, marking the third consecutive year of a falling rate.
Dyas said the results were encouraging, but residents were right to expect more on public safety.
“I know not everyone feels that progress yet, and I understand the frustration,” Dyas said.
“We have come a long way from four years ago when Kelowna had the highest crime rate of any metropolitan area in the country, but we are not done. The work ahead is about making sure residents and businesses feel safer in their daily lives.”