Sidney set to have a new mayor after Cliff McNeil-Smith abruptly exits race

Sidney’s next mayor has effectively been decided, even though the municipal election is still more than a month away.

Former longtime councillor Peter Wainwright is the only declared candidate for mayor after incumbent Cliff McNeil-Smith abruptly ended his re-election campaign on Friday, September 11th.

McNeil-Smith announced his decision in a personal statement released at 4 p.m., the same time the nomination period closed.

“I will no longer be seeking a third term as Sidney mayor due to urgent matters that arose in recent days and impact my family and business,” said McNeil-Smith.

He added that he would not comment further out of respect for the privacy of others.

“This is not how I intended to leave elected office, but putting family first is naturally my highest priority.”

McNeil-Smith was first elected to Sidney council in 2008 and served one term as a councillor. He was elected mayor in 2018 and acclaimed to a second term in 2022.

He has also represented Sidney on the Capital Regional District (CRD) board since becoming mayor and has served as chair of the CRD board for the past two years.

McNeil-Smith said he intends to continue carrying out his duties as mayor and CRD board chair until the end of his current term.

Why Wainwright will become mayor without a vote

Candidates interested in running for mayor, councillor or school trustee had from September 1 until 4 p.m. on Friday, September 11th to submit their nomination documents.

When the deadline passed, Wainwright was the only person listed by the Town of Sidney for the single mayoral position.

Under BC’s Local Government Act, an election by voting is only required when more candidates are nominated than there are positions available. When the number of candidates is equal to or fewer than the number of available positions, the chief election officer declares them elected by acclamation.

Wainwright is therefore set to be acclaimed mayor, provided he remains a candidate and his nomination is not successfully challenged.

The Town’s election schedule lists Friday, September 18th as the deadline for candidates to withdraw. The official declaration of an election by voting or election by acclamation is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Monday, September 21st.

No additional candidate can now enter the mayoral race simply because McNeil-Smith withdrew. The regular nomination period closed at 4 p.m. Friday with one eligible candidate for the one available position.

Who is Peter Wainwright?

Wainwright is no stranger to Sidney politics.

He has lived in the community for more than 30 years and previously served approximately 23 years on Sidney council, first from 1993 to 2008 and again from 2015 through 2022.

Wainwright describes himself as a retired scientist with a professional background in marine ecology, geographic information systems and databases.

Town election records show he was elected to council in both 2014 and 2018. In the 2018 election, he received 3,144 votes, the second-highest total among the council candidates elected that year. He did not seek re-election in 2022.

Since leaving council, Wainwright has remained involved in local issues as the host of Peninsula Affairs on Radio Sidney, a weekly program focused on current affairs and community issues across the Saanich Peninsula.

His recent work has covered topics including housing and development legislation, public transit, the future of the Sidney–Anacortes ferry connection and environmental concerns at Roberts Bay.

While no vote is expected to be required for mayor, Sidney’s municipal election will still go ahead to determine the next council.

Ten candidates are seeking six councillor positions:

• Eric Diller
• Steve Duck
• Erin Fedotov
• Scott Garnett
• Harninder “Hari” Jacquot
• Rory Lambert
• Richard Novek
• Terri O’Keeffe
• Steve Price
• Jamie Wellbourn

Monique Hiltz is the only declared candidate for Sidney’s School District 63 trustee position and is also expected to be elected by acclamation.

General voting day is Saturday, October 17th, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Mary Winspear Centre.

Advance voting will take place at Sidney Town Hall on Wednesday, October 7th and Wednesday, October 14th.