School Trustees are elected to a 4 year term. Key Dates for candidates to keep in mind.

The School District works in partnership with the local municipalities and regional district to conduct school trustee elections. 

School District No.59 is divided into the following four electroal areas (Electoral Area Map): 

Electoral Area I (Chetwynd and surrounding area including Moberly Lake - 2 trustees)

Electoral Area II (Tumbler Ridge - 1 trustee)

Electoral Area III (Dawson Creek-within municipal boundary - 2 trustees)

Electoral Area IV (Rural areas surrounding Dawson Creek, including Pouce Coupe, Devereaux, McLeod, Parkland, and Colony Schools - 2 trustees)

NOTE:  Previous Electoral Areas IV and V are now combined and will be named Area IV.  Two trustees will be elected to represent this area.

What is a School Trustee? 

Click on the links below for more information:

SD59 Trustee Brochure-2018

Foundational Principles of Responsible Conduct

Thinking of Running for Office (video series):

• Characteristics of Effective Locally Elected Officials
• Testing Your Readiness for Local Office
• Roles and Responsibilities of Locally Elected Officials

British Columbia School Trustee Association (BCSTA)

The Guide for 2018 School Trustee Candidates (BCSTA)

 BC Ministry of Education

CivcInfo BC (publication of election results and other election data)

Local Elections FAQ's

As of May 29, 2014, Elections BC (EBC) will now oversee all aspects of of local elections related to campaign financing and election advertising.  EBC will assume responsibility for managing campaign financing disclosure requirements, investigations, and enforcement of campaign financing and election advertising provisions. Please go to the Elections BC website for valuable information about Elections BC’s new role.

The Elections BC local elections campaign financing team is available to answer questions by phone at 1-855-952-0280 (toll-free) or by email at electoral.finance@elections.bc.ca.  Check out the Frequently Asked Questions for common questions by candidates.

Are you eligible to vote?

To be eligible to vote in a school trustee election, a person must qualify either as a resident elector or a non-resident property elector, and must be registered or deemed to be registered as an elector of the trustee electoral area [School Act, section 39 (1)(a) and (c)].

In order to vote as a resident elector, a person must be all of the following:

• a Canadian citizen;
• 18 years of age or older on general voting day;
• a resident of BC for at least six (6) months immediately before the time of voting;
• a resident of the trustee electoral area for at least 30 days immediately before the time of voting; and
• not disqualified by law from voting.

All residents who meet these requirements can vote. It does not matter whether you rent or own your home.

If you own property within School District boundaries but live somewhere else in BC, you can also vote in trustee elections as a non-resident property elector.  In this case, a person can vote, as long as the following are met:

• a Canadian citizen;
• 18 years of age or older on general voting day;
• a resident of BC for at least six (6) months immediately before the time of voting;
• a registered owner of real property in the trustee electoral area, for at least thirty (30) days immediately before the time of voting; and
• not be a resident elector in any other trustee electoral area in the District.

Non-resident property electors can vote only once, regardless of the number of properties they own. If there is more than one registered owner of a property, only one of those individuals may, with the written consent of the majority of the other owners, register as a non-resident property elector.

If you are interested in becoming a school trustee and would like more information about the Board of Education of School District No.59 or election information please contact:

Richell Schwartz, Deputy Election Officer, 250-782-8571, ext. 217