EDITORIAL: Election results may just show that Chilliwack voters are satisfied

There is a possible explanation for the rather extraordinary event that occurred Oct. 15 in Chilliwack.

After months of planning, nominating, campaigning, hundreds of questions, many promises and some drama, there was an election.

And not much changed.

Chilliwack has the same mayor and five out of six of the same councillors (one didn’t run). Every incumbent on city council was returned, likely for a reason: People are mostly satisfied.

That’s a remarkable conclusion, when events of the past term are considered.

There were two years (and counting) of COVID-19. The pandemic made everything harder, for everyone, as government struggled to alter practices and implement protocols.

There has been an opioid crisis, persistent homelessness, real estate prices skyrocketing, drought, the flood of last November, which led to landslides and an unprecedented disaster that became a defining moment for leadership.

Chilliwack was temporarily cut off from most of the Lower Mainland, and while the city did not get hit as hard as Abbotsford did, transportation routes were crippled, and the provision of essential services and groceries was tested. It was not a typical week for any city hall.

One after another, residents and leaders have faced hardships and tough decisions in 2022, 2021, 2020, most of this entire previous term.

Chilliwack is changing, and while it’s not possible to know what the city will look like four years from now, clearly voters – fewer than one in four who were eligible – decided that incumbents Ken Popove, Jason Lum, Chris Kloot, Jeff Shields, Harv Westeringh, Bud Mercer were doing a fine job through tough times.

Maybe we’ve been in pretty good hands after all. Voters think so and, of course, voters are never wrong.

– Black Press Media

READ MORE: Ken Popove re-elected mayor of Chilliwack

READ MORE: Nicole Huitema Read joins Chilliwack city council as only non-incumbent elected

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