When asked on election night if he thought four years was enough time to make a significant change in Kelowna, incoming Mayor Tom Dyas had a simple answer, “yes.”
Dyas gave his victory speech just after 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 15, about an hour and a half after polls closed for the 2022 municipal election.
The 21,110 votes that he received were almost twice as much as those received by the incumbent mayor, and Dyas’ closest opponent, Colin Basran.
READ MORE: Dyas defeats incumbent Basran to be Kelowna’s next mayor
At the time Dyas said he had not received a phone call from Basran, but said he “potentially may later.”
He thanked Basran for his contribution to the city.
“You took time away from your family to help build our city. You always did what you believe was best to make the city the best it could be. Kelowna is lucky to have people like you who are willing to dedicate so much of your life to our community. Thank you for all you have done and will continue to do in the future.”
He also thanked the other three mayoral candidates: David Habib, Silverado Socrates, and Glendon Smedley.
“David, Silverado, Glendon, thank you for putting yourselves out there. You added a spirit to this debate, you put yourself into a position that is not easy. I know as this is my second time running. To commit to this process is a lot of work. So to the three of you, thank you so much for being a part of this run for mayor.”
Habib spoke with Capital News, and said he was “praying for (Dyas) all along.”
“Very, very, extremely happy for him. I think the community is in a good place and let’s wait and see what kind of magic he can perform.”
He added that he thought that Basran would have been closer in the polls, but he was not shocked.
“I kind of thought they would be a little tighter, but you know, I guess that’s what happens after eight years. People want a change and they’re voicing their opinions, which is perfect.”
Dyas credited much of his victory to the community’s desire for more communication.
“They wanted to be heard…the community this time had a louder voice. There are certain things that were concerning with regards to crime, with respect to housing, with respect to traffic, and I think, or I know, the biggest part that the community was missing was communication.”
He said that there was a feeling of “numbness” when his team was certain that victory was his.
“We weren’t jumping up and down, we were just comfortable with each other in the room, going crazy with it… it’s a fabulous feeling.”
In the 2018 election, Dyas received 29.92 per cent of the vote, compared to Basran’s 56.95 per cent.
READ MORE: ELECTION 2022 RESULTS: Mayoral winners across British Columbia
READ MORE: ‘I have slept very well at night as your mayor’: Basran out as Kelowna’s leader after 2terms