The community is getting ready to choose their new leaders as the official list of candidates for mayor, councillors, regional district electoral area directors and school board trustees has been released.
Burns Lake has got two candidates for its mayoral race this year: Luke Strimbold and Deanna Brown. Strimbold was first elected to village council during a by-election in 2010 and has been the mayor of Burns Lake since 2011. Brown is running for the first time.
Eight candidates will be running for the village council this election. Frank Varga and John Illes have both had three years of experience on council. Chris Beach was elected in a bi-election and has sat on council for one year. Susan Scheinbien was a councillor from 2002 to 2005, 2005 to 2008 and again from 2011 to 2013 - resigning in 2013. Charles Rensby, John Phair, Kelly Holliday and Shelley Wall will be running for the first time.
In Fraser Lake, Dwayne L. Lindstrom and Sarrah Nahornoff-Storey are running for mayor. Lindstrom has served as mayor of Fraser Lake from 2011 to 2014, and Nahornoff-Storey is running for the first time.
Seven councillors are competing for the four spots on council. Kerry Lee Jantz, Dan Duncan, Don Reyden and Linda Mowat have served on council between 2011 and 2014. Leonard (Craig) Lepoideviw, Jeanette Alice Mary Brophy and Gwendolyn (Lynn) Rose Clark are running for the first time.
The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako has also released the names of its electoral area director candidates. Electoral Area A (Smithers Rural) is Mark Fisher. Electoral Area B (Burns Lake Rural) is Bill Miller, the incumbent for this area. Area C (Fort St. James Rural) is Tom Greenaway. Area D (Fraser Lake Rural) is Ralph Roy.
Area E (Francois/Ootsa Lake Rural) candidates are Quinten Beach, Eileen Benedict and Steve Freeman. Freeman is the incumbent for this area; Benedict served on the board of directors of this area from 1996 to 2011; and Beach has never served on the board but was a councillor for the Village of Burns Lake at one point.
Area F (Vanderhoof Rural) candidates are Randy Holubosh and Jerry Petersen. Area G (Houston Rural) candidates are Bob Newell, Frances Teer and Sheryl Yaremco.
The School District No. 91 (Nechako Lakes) will also be electing its school board trustees. Two candidates were elected by acclamation in Electoral Areas four and five.
Electoral area 4 (Grassy Plains and Francois Lake) new school board trustee is Adele Gooding, and electoral area 5 (Endako, Fraser lake and Fort Fraser) new school board trustee is Timothy Maertz.
Electoral Area 2 (Topley, Decker Lake and Granisle) has two candidates this year: Steve Davis and Marnie Phair. Electoral Area 3 (Burns Lake and Rural Area) will be choosing between Crystal Fisher and Lynda Maertz.
General voting day this year will take place on Nov. 15 and advance voting on Nov. 5.