kelownaelections.ca

Glendon Charles Smedley

Candidate for Councillor

Background

Glendon Charles Smedley is a journeyman carpenter and mechanical engineering technician who has lived in the Okanagan Valley since 1974 and in Kelowna since 1995. He has worked as a tradesman for over 18 years, including 10 years at the oil sands in Northern Alberta.

Smedley has run for mayor of Kelowna twice. In the 2014 general election, he received 84 votes (0.28%), finishing sixth of eight candidates. (City of Kelowna, 2014 — https://www.kelowna.ca/city-hall/city-government/elections/past-election-results/8) In 2022, he received 282 votes (0.82%), finishing fourth of four candidates. (City of Kelowna, 2022 — https://www.kelowna.ca/city-hall/city-government/elections/past-election-results/58) His 2022 Elections BC campaign finance disclosure (FRPC) was filed for a mayoral run in Kelowna, with total contributions of $771.72. (Elections BC FRPC, 2022 — confirmed via verify agent primary-source sweep) His 2026 candidacy for councillor represents a down-ballot move from his previous mayoral bids.

During his 2022 mayoral campaign, Smedley's key issues included homelessness, building heights and public safety, washroom facilities, and transportation. On homelessness, he stated: "It's heartbreaking for me to walk around the city and see what's going on. They need a friend." He proposed rapid construction of housing, citing his experience building work camps: "A 2,000-man camp can be built in less than nine months and I can see that as being one aspect of helping." On building heights, he questioned whether the fire department could rescue people from upper floors of high-rise buildings.

He ran as an independent with no slate affiliation.

2026 Campaign

Smedley filed as a "last-minute" candidate for Kelowna City Council on September 11, 2026, the nomination deadline.

He has no campaign website or Facebook/Instagram page. His public X/Twitter account is @GlendonSmedley (user ID 460695299, created January 2012, approximately 28,827 posts and 745 followers as of September 2026). His X bio describes him as "Announcement of Campaign for Councillor, Journeyman Carp, Mech. Eng. Tech. Trademan+Construction Builder+ Property Manager+Practical Municipal Spending." (xurl API v2, 2026-09-18)

His 2022 campaign positions, as submitted to the Rutland Residents Association questionnaire, included support for affordable housing across all sectors, concern about building heights relative to fire department capacity, and a focus on homelessness, safety, and transportation.

Smedley's 2026 positions come from an undated ForChange Kelowna candidate questionnaire, which he summed up as "Order out of Chaos." His stated priorities are: public safety (lighting for the Rail Trail, more group homes for people experiencing homelessness paired with counselling and occupational-health supports); traffic and infrastructure (more roundabouts, and advocating a third lane entering Kelowna plus a cantilevered sidewalk on the bridge to connect to Harvey Avenue, with infrastructure keeping pace with development); and wildfire and water security (expanding the fire department's capacity, including high-rise rescue and shore-based fire suppression using a lake tug/barge system). When asked what else voters should know, he described his leadership approach as rooted in his Christian faith.

Questionnaire responses

Did not respond to the Kelowna Elections questionnaire (deadline October 2, 2026).

Registered campaign links

From the official candidate registration record; presence here is not an endorsement.

Financial agent: Self

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