East Kootenay Local Elections Result in Major Leadership Turnover

Voters in the East Kootenay region held local elections on October 18-19, 2026, resulting in significant leadership turnover across municipal and regional offices. Tom Shypitka won the mayoralty in Cranbrook, while Cris A. Leonard defeated incumbent Mike Gray by seven votes to become mayor of Radium Hot Springs. Al Miller was the only mayor to be acclaimed, retaining his position in Invermere.

Several candidates, including Thomas McDonald, Krista Damstrom, Samantha Walsh, and Roberta Schnider, were acclaimed for rural area director seats. Former Cranbrook Mayor Wayne Price also secured a seat on the city council. These newly elected officials will now form the boards of the Regional District of East Kootenay and the Kootenay East Regional Hospital District.

The hospital board is currently overseeing a $232 million expansion of the F.W. Green Memorial Home. However, a separate renal and oncology expansion in Cranbrook remains stalled. The project is awaiting approval from the provincial treasury board, which has been delayed by an ongoing provincial election campaign.