It appears future generations of municipal voters in the Tri-Cities want newer voices on city council with a small mix of veteran leadership.
Each election year, Student Vote Canada hosts a mock vote among local schools in hopes of encouraging students to get active or introduce them to all levels of politics when they reach the legal age.
More than 8,300 students cast a hypothetical ballot in 13 public and independent schools across Anmore, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody, and results were released when the actual polls were closed at 8 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 15).
A total of 14 candidates from the four communities became first-term councillors in the Student Vote, while eight incumbents were granted another term in their respective office.
Among the highlights: Students elected Steve Milani as Port Moody's next mayor, while the actual results have tapped Meghan Lahti to become the City of the Arts' first-ever female mayor.
Incumbent Amy Lubik received the most votes, followed by Dustin Chelen and Eric Davis — all three are currently without a seat on the actual council pending results from an ongoing recount.
In Port Coquitlam, students also approved councillor-elect Paige Petriw.
However, they only brought back two of the incumbents in Nancy McCurrach and Darrell Penner, whereas all five that campaigned won another four-year term.
This appeared to be the same scenario for Coquitlam students in only allowing Steve Kim and Brent Asmundson to return to their council seats, but also agreed with eligible voters to welcome councillors-elect Matt Djonlic and Robert Mazzarolo to city hall.
Councillor-elect Craig Hodge was on the outside looking in with the kids, but topped the election results in the category on Saturday.
"These resources are intended to improve civic literacy, introduce the concept of democracy and elections, increase understanding about government and representation, and teach students how to effectively participate as active and informed citizens in their community," Student Vote Canada's website reads about the program.
For more information, you can visit the organization's website.
The local results from Student Vote 2022 are as follows:
Anmore
Mayor
- John McEwen = 67.5 per cent
- Incumbent
- Mario Piamonte = 32.5 per cent
Participating schools (in alphabetical order):
- Eagle Mountain Middle (SD43)
- 83 votes cast
In the 2022 civic election, John McEwen was voted to continue a third term as Anmore mayor.
Coquitlam
Mayor
- Richard Stewart = 46.5 per cent
- Incumbent
- Adel Gamar = 42 per cent
- Mark Mahovlich = 11.5 per cent
Council
- Sean Lee = 8 per cent
- Steve Kim = 7.5 per cent
- Incumbent
- Ben Craig = 5.5 per cent
- Brent Asmundson = 5.25 per cent
- Incumbent
- Harvey Su = 5.2 per cent
- Matt Djonlic = 5.15 per cent
- Robert Mazzarolo = 5.15 per cent
- Rob Bottos = 5 per cent
- Craig Hodge
- Incumbent
- Benjamin Perry
- Zoe Royer
- Phillip Buchan
- Trish Mandewo
- Incumbent
- Carl Trepanier
- Mohammad Darwish
- Teri Towner
- Incumbent
- Leslie Roosa
- Ali Tootian
- Paul Lambert
- Dennis Marsden
- Incumbent
- Cameron McBryer
- Brian Misera
Participating schools (in alphabetical order):
- Maillard Middle (SD43)
- 2,492 votes cast
- Montgomery Centre (SD43)
- 925 votes cast
- Montgomery Middle (SD43)
- 440 votes cast
- Mundy Road Elementary (SD43)
- 268 votes cast
- Nestor Elementary (SD43)
- 482 votes cast
- Our Lady of Fatima School (Vancouver Archdiocese)
- 85 votes cast
In the 2022 civic election, Richard Stewart was voted to continue a fifth term as Coquitlam mayor, all six incumbents earned another term, and Matt Djonlic and Robert Mazzarolo were also voted to the next council.
Port Coquitlam
Council
- Dawn Becker = 9.7 per cent
- Cindy Carkner = 8.24 per cent
- Nancy McCurrach = 7.76 per cent
- Incumbent
- Paige Petriw = 6.91 per cent
- Darin Nielsen = 6.42 per cent
- Darrell Penner = 6.42 per cent
- Incumbent
- Erik Minty
- Justin Alexander Smith
- Steve Darling
- Incumbent
- Ivanka Culjak
- Glenn Pollock
- Incumbent
- Sarah Harbord
- Dean Washington
- Incumbent
- Mithila Karnik
- Jam Watson
- Kevin Misera
- Jenny Zhou
- Derek Jeffrey
Participating schools (in alphabetical order):
- Kilmer Elementary (SD43)
- 301 votes cast
- Our Lady of the Assumption School (Vancouver Archdiocese)
- 170 votes
- Terry Fox Secondary (SD43)
- 354 votes
In the 2022 civic election, all five incumbent candidates returned to office and Paige Petriw was also voted to the next council.
Port Moody
Mayor
- Steve Milani = 56.6 per cent
- Meghan Lahti = 43.4 per cent
Council
- Amy Lubik = 7.9 per cent
- Incumbent
- Dustin Chelen = 7.79 per cent
- Eric Davis = 7.17 per cent
- Samantha Agtarap = 7.06 per cent
- Diana Dilworth = 6.47 per cent
- Incumbent
- Kyla Knowles = 6.28 per cent
- Barbara Junker
- David Stuart
- Hunter Madsen
- Richard Biedka
- Callan Morrison
- Haven Lurbiecki
- Dawn Slykhuis
- Johann Contreras
Participating schools (in alphabetical order):
- Ecole Moody Middle (SD43)
- 1,958 votes cast
- Moody Elementary (SD43)
- 477 votes cast
- Seaview Community School (SD43)
- 286 votes cast
In the 2022 civic election, Meghan Lahti was voted as Port Moody's first female mayor in its history.
As of this publication (Oct. 19), all ballots cast are being recounted.
