kelownaelections.ca

Nikki Renee Csek

Candidate for Councillor

Background

Nikki Renee Csek (pronounced "Check") is CEO and co-founder of Csek Creative and NowMedia Group, a six-division company comprising the digital agency Csek Creative; online news platforms KelownaNow and NowCities; d6 Print Studio; 16 Flights Publications; Level Up Events; and IVA Productions. Born in Penticton, she spent parts of her childhood in Alberta, Manitoba, Texas, North Dakota, and Nebraska, and chose Kelowna as her home in 1998.

Csek served as president of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce in 2019, the seventh woman to hold that position in the chamber's 115-year history. She has also served as a director of the Downtown Kelowna Association (2016–2019) and is a member of the COEDC Advisory Council. She was a 2019 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards nominee.

2026 Campaign

Csek announced her candidacy on July 23, 2026. She stated: "Serving on City Council is a serious responsibility... This was not a decision I made lightly. Today I am placing my flag in the ground. I am running, and now the hard work begins."

Her campaign site (launched around September 4, 2026) is organized around themes of Governance, Business, Community, Economic Development, and Volunteerism. Her tagline is "Thoughtful leadership begins with listening." Csek indicated at launch that her platform would be released "in the coming weeks."

In an undated ForChange Kelowna candidate questionnaire, Csek published detailed positions. On crime and safety, she called for strengthening bylaws and public-space rules so officers have clear enforceable tools, a visible enforcement presence, and pressing senior governments on justice and repeat-offender issues. On wildfire resilience, she said she would accelerate fuel reduction and FireSmart work; she cited a 2026 MyChoice analysis she said ranked Kelowna as Canada's highest-overall-wildfire-risk city scoring 6.8 out of 10 (a ranking she cited, not independently verified). On affordability, she said she would require every major spending decision to answer four questions — need, cost, measurable benefit, and result — and review development cost charges, permit fees, and approval delays.

On the open council race, Csek said: "There's four spots available, and I believe that my experience, my knowledge, the way I approach things, I think will resonate, and I hope to earn a seat at the table."

At the third Castanet election forum (Revelry Kelowna, October 1, 2026), Csek laid out a four-part platform: running city hall on "more for less" fiscal discipline; safe streets, with people who repeatedly harm others facing "serious consequences"; wildfire readiness through fuel reduction, detection, suppression and an evacuation plan; and cutting the cost and delay in housing. On affordability, she said the city runs a $1.1 billion budget to be examined line by line, called for more diverse housing options including modular homes (which she said Kelowna currently does not allow), and argued incomes should be mapped because the median household does not earn $80,000. She cited a 20% youth unemployment rate and a $22.5 million jobs announcement, and said builders who have not pulled a permit in two or three years are leaving the city. She said she moved her own 35-person company out of downtown because she could not operate there, and called for "pilot projects" to reclaim the core block by block, a continuum of voluntary and mandatory care, and a shift in public messaging so that "it's not cool to be a criminal." The budget, income, unemployment and jobs figures are as stated by Csek and have not been independently verified.

Campaign site: https://nikkicsek.com/

Notable Items

Media Ownership Conflict of Interest

Csek's candidacy raises a factual conflict-of-interest question: as co-owner (via Csek Creative / NowMedia Group) of KelownaNow, one of Kelowna's major online news outlets, she would be both an elected official and the owner of a news organization that covers city council. Castanet's coverage explicitly noted this dual role in its headline: "KelownaNow co-owner running for city council." Her own outlet covered her announcement with a corporate-affiliation disclosure.

Csek has publicly addressed the question, stating: "I'm absolutely going to be staying in the business. I'm very involved... I think the best thing I can do regarding that is be fully transparent... I'll make sure and declare any conflicts and recuse myself if necessary." She added that "the company's newsroom operates independently and will continue to do so."

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: Cheryl Lynn Schaefer

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