Longtime councillor Sim unseats Blackwell in tight Clearwater mayoral race

CLEARWATER, B.C. — A tight race in the District of Clearwater has ended with a new mayor in the North Thompson community.

Shelley Sim, who has served on the district’s council since 2011, defeated incumbent mayor Merlin Blackwell by 18 votes. Results from the municipal election Saturday (Oct. 17) show Sim garnered 510 votes while Blackwell finished with 492.

Blackwell served two terms as mayor of Clearwater. He was also a district councillor from 2011 to 2018.

“It’s been an absolute honour to serve as your Mayor for the last eight years,” Blackwell said in a statement. “I want to thank all those who have supported me over the years, for their votes, their kind words, and their friendship.”

Blackwell added he is “absolutely at peace” with the outcome of the election, and doubts that a recount, should he ask for one, will change the end result.

“I fully intend to take break from all things public for a while,” he added. “I need a well-deserved break from all this. Quite frankly I’m very tired, and I need to focus on family and home for a while before taking on any new opportunities.”

In a statement, Sim thanked Blackwell for his years of service to Clearwater.

“He navigated many storms and showed consistent care for Clearwater,” Sim worte. “His public representation of Clearwater was appreciated and valued by many. He was and will continue to be a respected voice of Clearwater.”

“He endured a great deal and never waivered in his commitment to our town. It wasn’t easy and I admire him for all that he did. He will be a difficult act to follow and likely I will stumble in the first while but will work hard to follow the groundwork he has laid.”

The municipal election was a successful night for Sim, as she also won re-election as a school trustee on the Kamloops-Thompson School District Board of Education. She beat TNRD Area B Director Lee Onslow by just three votes.

“These were incredibly close elections,” Sim added. “Thank you to all those who voted and to those who chose to put their trust in me.”

Meantime, several familiar faces will continue to serve on Clearwater council. Incumbents Theresa Braaten, Bill Haring and Lyle Mackenzie were successful in their re-election bids. Brent Buck, who served on Clearwater council from 2007 to 2011, finished with the most votes among council candidates with 658.

Newcomers Ben Louwerse and Sylvain Menard round out the remainder of Clearwater council. Incumbent councillor Ken Matheson was unsuccessful in his re-election bid after serving one term.

Incumbent councillor Lynne Frizzle, who was first elected in 2018, did not seek re-election.