File photo. (Image Credit: CFJC Today)
Clearwater Election
Longtime councillor Sim unseats Blackwell in tight Clearwater mayoral race
Oct 18, 2026 | 12:13 AM
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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.
The municipal election was a successful night for Sim. Along with winning the mayoral race in Clearwater, she also won re-election as a school trustee on the Kamloops-Thompson School District Board of Education.
