His worship
Tom Dyas
Mayor of Kelowna, British Columbia
Assumed office
November 7, 2022
Preceded byColin Basran
Personal details
Children3[1]
OccupationChef, businessman

Thomas J. Dyas[2] is a Canadian politician. He has served as the mayor of Kelowna, British Columbia since 2022.

Early life

Dyas' parents were Thomas "Harry" Dyas, an immigrant from Blackheath, England[3] and Hilda Ann Holtforster, who was born in Trout Creek, Ontario.[4] His parents lived in Oshawa, Ontario.[5][6]

Dyas moved to British Columbia in 1986 to become a sous chef, becoming executive chef of Delta Hotels while living in Whistler. In 1987, he created an insurance and financial company called TD Benefits.[7] He would later become the president of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, serving for two terms until 2018.[8] During this time, he led Kelowna's bid to host the 2020 Memorial Cup[9] (which was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Political career

Dyas first ran for mayor of Kelowna in 2018, citing the need for "leadership... at city hall", and ran on a plan on financial accountability, citizen safety, transportation and infrastructure, water management and sustainable managed growth.[10] He ran against the incumbent mayor, Colin Basran, who had previously been a close friend of Dyas'.[11] His platform was described as returning the region to its "conservative roots" as "a no-nonsense, tax cutting, small businessman", compared to Basran who had the backing from the "progressive tech industry".[12] Basran easily defeated Dyas in the election by nearly 9,000 votes.

A year after Kelowna was declared to have the highest crime rate in the country,[13] Dyas ran for mayor again in 2022, in a re-match against Basran, stating "a lot of concerns people have in the community have gotten worse".[14] In the election, Dyas defeated Basran by over 10,000 votes. He cited, crime, housing, and traffic as major issues in the election.[15] The 2022 municipal elections saw a wave of centre-right mayors come to office as a response to rising crime and homelessness in the province.[16] Dyas' campaign was managed by Adam Wilson who has "strong ties to the Conservative Party".[17]

While serving as mayor, the Kelowna area was severely hit by the McDougall Creek Fire.[18] Also during his term as mayor, he has called for municipal parks to be exempted from the province's plans on drug decriminalization, due to a concern it "may create an influx of drug users from other provinces to parks in Kelowna during the summer".[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Meet the candidates running to be Kelowna's mayor". Global News. October 12, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  2. ↑ "2022 Statement of Financial Information" (PDF). City of Kelowna. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Harry Dyas". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Hilda Ann Dyas". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  5. ↑ "'He was funny, kind and generous:' Longtime Oshawa volunteer, Second World War veteran Harry Dyas dies at 102". Oshawa This Week. September 6, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Kelowna 'deserves action' on crime and homelessness, Mayor Tom Dyas says". Kelowna Daily Courier. November 7, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Our Council". City of Kelowna.
  8. ↑ "In Conversation With . . . chamber of commerce president Tom Dyas". Kelowna Daily Courier. March 5, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Former Kelowna chamber president appears ready to launch mayoral bid". Kelowna Capital News. March 5, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Tom Dyas tosses his hat into Kelowna's mayoral ring". Kelowna Capital News. September 12, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  11. ↑ "UNFRIENDED: Race for Kelowna mayor gets personal". infotel.ca. September 20, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Kelowna's mayoral race a battle over the city's identity". CBC. October 16, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Kelowna had Canada's highest crime rate in 2021". Kelowna Capital News. August 3, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Tom Dyas wants your vote to become Kelowna's next mayor". Castanet. October 3, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Kelowna mayor elect plans to look outside city hall for new ideas". Global News. October 16, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  16. ↑ "FIRST READING: Sick of tent cities and 'stranger attacks,' BCers vote for hardline mayors". National Post. October 18, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Are political parties meddling in Kelowna elections?". iNFOnews.ca. October 17, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Kelowna in 'good position' as cool weather helps teams attack wildfire: mayor". Global News. August 21, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Kelowna wants its municipal parks exempted from B.C.'s drug decriminalization project". CBC. March 21, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
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