Advance polling stations open tomorrow, Feb. 12, for the first byelection in the history of School District 43 (SD43).
Coquitlam residents can cast their ballots between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. at Centennial Pavilion (630 Poirier St.) to elect a new Coquitlam trustee. Another advance voting opportunity will be held on Saturday, Feb. 15, at the Pinetree Community Centre (1260 Pinetree Way).
Five candidates are running for the seat left vacant by Jennifer Blatherwick, now the MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville. They are (in alphabetical order):
- Frank Do, Coquitlam
- Dana Ebtekar, Coquitlam
- Candace Knoll, Coquitlam
- Rosey Manhas, Coquitlam
- Nash Milani, Port Moody
To read their bios and responses to the Tri-City News questionnaire, visit the Tri-City News website (click on the News tab >> Byelection 2025).
General voting day is Saturday, Feb. 22 with polls opens at these locations:
- Alderson Elementary
- 825 Gauthier Ave.
- Bramblewood Elementary
- 2875 Panorama Dr.
- Como Lake Middle
- 1121 King Albert Ave.
- Banting Middle
- 820 Banting Dr.
- Glen Elementary
- 3064 Glen Dr.
- Hillcrest Middle
- 2161 Regan Ave.
- Mundy Road Elementary
- 2200 Austin Ave.
- Smiling Creek Elementary
- 3456 Princeton Ave.
Last week, chief election officer Kerri Wells told the Tri-City News that the city is getting the byelection message out through civic email notifications, its website, digital displays at recreation centres and via the SD43 website.
And she has trained some 50 election workers to help voters at the polling stations and guide them with inserting their ballots in the Dominion Voting machines. The voters’ roll will also be electronic to ensure Coquitlam residents don’t mark ballots at other locations.
Byelections in Coquitlam typically have a poor turnout.
The last one — held in 2013, in which Chris Wilson and Bonita Zarrillo were elected to city council — drew 9.23 per cent of eligible voters; the previous two council byelections, in 2010 and 2007, drew 7.6 per cent and 5.10 per cent, respectively.
Meanwhile, the results of the 2025 school byelection will be posted live on the city’s website on Feb. 22 after the polls close at 8 p.m.
The City of Coquitlam has budgeted $350,000 to run the byelection; it will be reimbursed by SD43, the third largest school district in B.C. with some 30,000 students in public schools.
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