Four Square Off In Chestermere

Former Councillor Christopher Steeves, and Former Councillor Shannon Dean, Former Mayor Marshall Chambers, and Former Mayor Jeff Colvin are in the running to be the next Mayor of Chesteremere, Alberta

The field is set in Chestermere.

The race for mayor promises to be a thrilling contest with four notable former politicians entering the fray. This critical byelection was prompted by the dismissal of former Chestermere Mayor Jeff Colvin and three city councillors, following a province-ordered municipal inspection that revealed mismanagement within the city's administration and council.

The four candidates running to be the next Mayor of Chestermere, are former Councillor Christopher Steeves, Former Mayor Marshall Chambers, Former Councillor Shannon Dean, and Former Mayor Jeff Colvin.

Christopher Steeves, has a long history with the community, having served as a councillor for a decade. First elected in 2007, he won re-election in 2010 and 2013 before stepping away from municipal politics in 2017.

Marshall Chambers served as Chestermere’s mayor from 2017 until his retirement in 2021.

The third candidate, Shannon Dean, brings a fresh yet familiar face to the race. Dean was elected as a councillor in 2021 and was one of the few councillors who retained his position during the upheaval initiated by Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver. Dean resigned from his councillor role to run for mayor.

Finally Jeff Colvin will be looking to return to his old seat. Colvin was first elected to the position of Mayor in 2021.

In addition to the mayoral race, the byelection will see 23 candidates vying for five council positions, reflecting a diverse and competitive field. The candidates include Janelle Sandboe, Hoda Birani, Scot Caithness, Gopal Krishan Saini, Vaishali Kumar, Rick Schell, Kiran Randhawa, Gurpreet Singh Toor, Mary Moojelsky, Satvir Singh Sahota, Robert Schindler, Tammy Gates, Gagandeep Shergill, David Beriault, Mel Foat, Cyndie McQuat, Stephen Hanley, Blaine Funk, Olymphya Hermosillo De Elizondo, Jasbir (Jesse) Minhas, Rob Wawrzynowski, Sean Swart, and Murray Grant

Float, Hanley and Fuunk were the three councillors who were dismissed by Municipal Affairs Mininster Ric McIver in December of 2023.

Advance voting is scheduled to take place from June 15th to June 17th, giving residents ample opportunity to cast their ballots ahead of election day on June 24th. EDITOR NOTE: An earlier version of this story indicated that only three candidates had filed their paperwork for Mayor, while only 17 had filed their paperwork for Councillor. We apologize for the error.