From the number of election signs spread all over town, one cannot be unaware that Election Day is just around the corner. The number of candidates running or rerunning for office of mayor, councillor and school trustee ensures that it will be, as always, an interesting election.
Historically there has usually been a good turnout of voters here and a good number of candidates to choose from. This has generally been the case since our first civic election in 1944.
Today’s column will not be concerned with the upcoming elections; instead it will feature several photos of candidates from past elections.
Not all succeeded in securing a position but everyone gave it their best thus ensuring that the democratic process was alive and well here in the Cowichan Lake area.
An asterisk * in front of a name denotes that the candidate was, at some point in time elected to office.
Swearing-in ceremony, held January 1977, for elected candidates who ran for village council and local school board in the November 1976 election. From left, newly sworn in Lake Cowichan School District 66 trustees *Dalton Smith, *Ray Bennett, *Buck Hollingdrake and *Bernice Sawkins. From right, newly elected village council aldermen *Ernie Burns and *Hazel Elves Beech. Gordon Loutet (standing between Bernice and Hazel), officiated at the swearing-in ceremony.
All-candidates meeting, year unknown, saw five candidates vying for positions on the local village council. From left: *Rod O’Driscoll, *Rod Peters, Lil Marwood, Sheila Kenyon and *Earle Darling.
All candidates meeting hopefuls during the late 1970’s all-candidates meeting from left: *Lucky Dley, *Jack Peake, *Dalton Smith, Les Peake and *Buck Hollingdrake.