kelownaelections.ca

Mohini Singh

Incumbent councillor

Background

Mohini Singh was born in 1960 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, and immigrated to Canada in 1983 with her family. She graduated from the BCIT journalism program and moved to Kelowna in 1989 for a journalism position.

Singh worked as a television reporter for 22 years covering the Okanagan on CHBC and CBC. (campaign site, 2026 — https://votemohini.ca) She is also described as a former Global News/CHBC-TV reporter.

She founded the East Meets West Children's Foundation in 2008, a volunteer-run organization. Her community involvement includes the Kelowna Women's Shelter, the MS Society, the Cancer Centre of the Southern Interior, and UBCO scholarship fundraising.

Singh has received the Order of British Columbia (2008), the Kelowna Woman of the Year award (2009), the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), the King Charles III Coronation Medal (2024), and the Kelowna Women in Business Changemaker award (2025).

She hosts a community podcast, "Chai and Chat with Mohini."

2026 Campaign

Singh announced her re-election bid on August 31, 2026, stating: "Kelowna has changed a great deal in my time on council, and the work in front of us isn't finished."

Her campaign slogan is "Your trusted voice on council. Fifteen years of listening, showing up, and getting practical things done for the people of Kelowna."

Her platform is organized around four pillars: (1) housing people can afford; (2) safer, stronger communities, including policing and firefighter staffing; (3) a working local economy with an agriculture focus; (4) protection of lakes, farmland, and natural areas.

Her honorary campaign chair is Lois Serwa, a long-time Kelowna volunteer and philanthropist. Endorsers include Paul Clark (Past President, Pandosy Neighbourhood Association), Jason Picklyk (President, Kelowna Professional Firefighters Association), Luke Stack (Kelowna City Councillor 2008–2026), and others.

In an undated ForChange Kelowna candidate questionnaire, Singh elaborated on her record and priorities. On crime and safety, she cited the City's additions of 33 police officers, 18 firefighters and 17 bylaw officers and called for advocating to senior governments for more supportive and transitional housing, mental-health and addiction services, including a mandatory-care facility in the Okanagan. On affordability, she said vacancy has improved and rents have dropped after years of new development, but housing remains too expensive for many families. On the economy and agriculture, she described advocating for exceptions such as a sign-placement bylaw variance for a small business, and supporting farmers on harvest-season road-construction schedules, water access and water-sharing planning. These staffing and housing figures are as stated by Singh in the questionnaire and have not been independently verified in this profile.

At the first Castanet election forum (Revelry Kelowna, September 16, 2026), Singh described her own Rutland home being taken over by people using drugs — an ordeal she said took two police operations to end and left roughly $200,000 in damage — and called for more officers on foot patrol rather than in vehicles to rebuild a "sense of safety" on Kelowna's streets. She also said the City has secured about $150 million in senior-government grant funding in recent years. These figures are as stated by Singh and have not been independently verified.

Campaign site: https://www.votemohini.ca Campaign contact: info@votemohini.ca, 250-859-2100

Record in Office

Singh was first elected to Kelowna City Council in 2011 and has been re-elected three times (2014, 2018, 2022). She is seeking a fifth term.

In the 2022 election, she finished fifth of 32 council candidates with 11,585 votes (33.24%).

She has served under three mayors: Walter Gray, Colin Basran, and Tom Dyas.

Key votes

Council pay raise (April 2024): Singh voted against the 35% council pay increase (from approximately $43,000 to $58,000). She was named among the four opponents: "The four councillors who voted against the pay hike were Mohini Singh, Ron Cannan, Rick Webber and Gordon Lovegrove." She stated: "I just want to clearly state, as I've said from Day One from the first time it came up, not opposed to a raise, just opposed to the amount."

The final procedural vote on April 15, 2024, was recorded as "unanimous" in favour despite the documented opposition. Singh stated: "So I would personally like to see my vote documented as being against it." A motion to reconsider was defeated 4–3.

2025 budget (4.3% tax increase): Singh voted in favour in a 6–2 named roll-call.

2026 budget (4.37% tax increase): Singh was present; no dissent was recorded. She moved to add more firefighters, stating: "In the summer time, we are like a tinder box."

Kelowna Springs Golf Course rezoning (March 2026): Singh voted in favour in a 5–3 named roll-call.

RDCO economic development commission withdrawal (July 2026): Singh voted in favour in a 5–4 named roll-call, stating: "We are the keepers of the public purse, and the people trust us to manage their tax dollars wisely."

25-storey tower height variance (May 2025): Singh's campaign site states she voted against this variance, citing the Daily Courier (May 15, 2025). This vote has not been independently verified from council minutes.

Seasonal farmworker housing, Belgo Road (August 2026): Singh was present; no dissent was recorded. She was quoted: "He is doing everything by the book. It would be wrong to refuse this."

RDCO board removal

In May 2024, Singh, along with councillors Cannan and Lovegrove, was removed from the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) board in a 6–2 vote. The RDCO position paid approximately $17,000 per year extra. Mayor Dyas stated the rotation was pre-planned; former mayors Gray and Shepherd called the mid-term replacement "unusual." Singh said: "I was surprised" and "Unfortunately, I have to step down." She was demoted to alternate ($90 per meeting). Councillor Hodge stated: "it all happened so quick... I don't understand why the mayor wanted to make the changes."

Remuneration

In 2025, Singh earned taxable remuneration of $57,748 and claimed $5,026 in expenses.

Endorsements

ForChange Kelowna recommends Mohini Singh as one of eight candidates for Kelowna city council in the 2026 election. ForChange Kelowna is a Kelowna volunteer group that reviewed candidates' questionnaire responses, held structured interviews and attended forums; it lists its eight recommendations alphabetically rather than by ranking. The group describes itself as independent and not affiliated with any political party, slate or business organization, and is registered with Elections BC as a third-party advertising sponsor (principal official Francis Braam).

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: Gary Lidhar

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