Meet the new council in Lake Country
Published on October 21, 2022 by David Wylie

Fresh faces make up the majority of the recently elected Lake Country council.
Four of seven Lake Country Council members are new.
Two incumbents (Bill Scarrow and Jeremy Kozub) were ousted, a third (Penny Gamble) didn’t run, and the fourth (Blair Ireland) was acclaimed mayor after the retirement of longtime former mayor James Baker.
Returning members are Cara Reed and Todd McKenzie, who were acclaimed.
New faces are Michael Lewis, Bib Patel, Heather Irvine, and Tricia Brett.
Amy Geistlinger was acclaimed as school trustee.
A total of 3,741 Lake Country residents voted in the Oct. 15, 2022 election. The district has about 13,000 people living across the communities of Winfield, Oyama and Okanagan Centre.
The inaugural council meeting is Nov. 1.
Meet the new Lake Country council
Mayor Blair Ireland
Blair Ireland was director of guest services at Big White for about three decades.
He served two terms as a Lake Country councillor representing Okanagan Centre before being acclaimed mayor in 2022.
Ireland moved to the Okanagan in 1970, says his bio. He moved to Okanagan Centre in 1987, raising a family in the area.
“He is experienced in all aspects of growing a community. He worked at developing tourism, promotion, sales as well as recreation and community, guest and media relations and conflict resolution. Blair served on the LCYSA Board and coached soccer for 16 years. He is a regular volunteer at the Okanagan Centre Hall.”
Council members
Michael Lewis, Councillor at Large
Bib Patel, Councillor at Large
Heather Irvine, Winfield Councillor
Tricia Brett, Okanagan Centre Councillor
Cara Reed, Carr’s Landing Councillor, Acclaimed
Todd McKenzie, Oyama Councillor, Acclaimed
Here’s a breakdown of the Lake Country vote
Councillor at Large (two elected)
√ LEWIS, Michael – Total 1,333 votes (496 Advance Voting, 837 General Voting Day)
√ PATEL, Bib – Total 1,461 votes (527 Advance Voting, 934 General Voting Day)
SCARROW, Bill – Total 676 votes (249 Advance Voting, 427 General Voting Day)
Councillor – Winfield (one elected)
√ IRVINE, Heather – Total 552 votes (182 Advance Voting, 370 General Voting Day)
KOZUB, Jerremy – Total 512 votes (195 Advance Voting, 317 General Voting Day)
Councillor – Okanagan Centre (one elected)
√ BRETT, Tricia – Total 368 votes (129 Advance Voting, 239 General Voting Day)
HASTINGS, Riley – Total 198 votes (71 Advance Voting, 127 General Voting Day)
Councillor – Carr’s Landing
√ REED, Cara – Acclaimed
Councillor – Oyama
√ MCKENZIE, Todd – Acclaimed
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