Paradise by-election set for April 30

By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Town of Paradise will hold a byelection on April 30th to fill the seat left by the untimely passing of former councillor Elizabeth Laurie.
Councillor Larry Vaters presented the motion “with a heavy heart” this week at Paradise Town Hall, in which he highlighted the in-person-only nature of the byelection given the brief amount of time given to prepare.
“The Municipal Elections Act requires a municipality to hold a byelection within three months of a seat becoming vacant,” Vaters said.
Nomination day will be held on April 4th from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with advance polling on April 27th from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Chief Administrative Officer Lisa Niblock will serve as Chief Returning Officer for the duration of the election.

There will be no online or mail-in voting in this by-election. Voters will have to cast their ballots in person at the polling booth.
The last general municipal election was in 2021. That necessitated a recount to determine the sixth and final council seat, which was won by veteran Deborah Quilty by a nine-vote margin over challenger Simon Walley, who garnered 1,335 votes. The runners up included Jamie Thornhill with 1,064 votes and Tony Kelly with 768.