2026 MUNICIPAL & SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION RESULTS

Statement of Official Results

OSWALD SAWH ELECTED MAYOR OF THOMPSON

Oswald Sawh became the ninth mayor of Thompson on October 28, receiving 1,043 votes to defeat the incumbent Colleen Smook, who was seeking a third term, and Duncan Wong, who served as a Councillor for three terms before seeking to become Thompson’s mayor.

Smook, Thompson’s first female mayor, received 863 votes to finish second. This is the second time she has experienced defeat as a candidate for mayor, having previously finished third in 2010 before successful campaigns in 2018 and 2022.

Wong, who was a member of the previous Council alongside Sawh, was third with 388 votes. He was first elected to Council in 2014 and re-elected in 2018 and 2022.

 This will be Sawh’s fourth term as a member of Council in Thompson. He previously served two terms from 2002 to 2010, then returned after a 14-year hiatus when he won a 2024 by-election.

Thompson voters stuck with experienced Councillors in the Council election, with all four incumbents – Louis Fitzpatrick, Joyce McIvor, Sandra Oberdorfer and Kathy Valentino – finishing among the top eight vote-getters.

Valentino, who has served three consecutive terms, was re-elected for a third time and received the most votes of any candidate, garnering 1,663.

 Oberdorfer had the second-most among incumbents and second-most of all candidates with 1,528. The third-highest placing incumbent was Fitzpatrick, with 1,276 votes, who was also third overall, while McIvor had the fewest votes among re-elected candidates, receiving 1,206 to finish fourth among all Council candidates.

Former Councillors Ron Matechuk and Earl Colbourne were sixth and eighth, respectively, with Matechuk getting 1,084 votes and Earl Colbourne receiving 791.

They will be joined on the new Council by Carla Antichow, who got 1,199 votes, the most among non-incumbent candidates, and Tony Colbourne, who was the choice of 968 voters.

Voters injected some new blood into the School District of Mystery Lake board, with both first-time candidates among the seven top vote-getters in the School Trustee election.

Leo Landers finished in first place with 1,407 votes while Oyekanmi Abioye was seventh with 762 votes.

Henk Warner-Brown and MD Sharker were not re-elected, finishing eighth and ninth with 746 and 702 votes, respectively.

The five incumbents elected to another term were Bryan Young (1,402 votes), Michele Nichol-Sawh (1,251 votes), Michelle Tomashewski (1,247 votes), Abbie Humby (1,245 votes) and Lindsay Anderson (1,012 votes).

Turnout for the election was approximately 27%.

INCOMING MAYOR GRATEFUL FOR CHANCE TO LEAD THOMPSON

Incoming Mayor of Thompson Oswald Sawh, whose term in office officially began at noon on Thursday, October 29, says he is grateful to have the opportunity to serve his community in a new capacity.

“I look forward to working with my fellow councillors and I look forward to working with the school board trustees as well because both organizations have a common thing. We want the betterment of Thompson.

Sawh was glad to see an increase in the total number of voters from last election.

“I want to thank the residents of Thompson who came out to vote. That's very important. We had slightly more than four years ago. I'd like to see more. The residents of Thompson have to feel that their concerns matter.”

He also expressed thanks to everyone who ran for office.

“It’s not an easy thing to put your name on there. You open yourself up at times for commentary and criticism, but I have the highest respect for everyone who puts their name down on the ballot.”

The new mayor, who returned to Council in a 2024 byelection after a 14-year hiatus and will be sworn in on November 9 alongside his fellow members of Council, credits the late Tim Johnston, who was mayor during Sawh’s second term on Council from 2006 to 2010, as being a role model for how he hopes to lead.

“I have the highest respect for what he did.”

At that time, however, Sawh didn’t necessarily see himself following in his former Council colleague’s footsteps.

“I never saw myself being in that spot, but now I am. People will define my mayorship in regards to what I'm able to accomplish, as they should, so that's my job now.”

OUTGOING COUNCILLORS RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THOMPSON

With the term of the newly elected Mayor and Council officially beginning at noon on Thursday, October 29, the City of Thompson extends its thanks to outgoing Mayor Colleen Smook and outgoing Councillors Duncan Wong and Chiew Chong. 

Smook and Wong both spent 12 years as members of Council. The outgoing Mayor was a Councillor from 2014-2018 before serving two terms as the Head of Council. Wong was a three-term Councillor, serving from 2014 to 2026.

Chiew Chong, who did not seek re-election in the 2026 municipal and school board election, served as a Councillor from 2022 until 2026.

On behalf of the City of Thompson, its staff and all the residents of Thompson, thank you all for your service and your commitment to the community. Your commitment to Thompson and your dedication to making your community a better place are greatly appreciated.

INAUGURAL MEETING OF COUNCIL

The term of the previous Mayor, Councillors and School Trustees officially ended at noon on Thursday, October 29, the day after the election, which is also when the four-year term of the new Mayor, Councillors and School Trustees officially began.

The candidates elected to the offices of Mayor, Councillor and School Trustee can not exercise the powers of their new offices until they have completed the Oath of Office.

The incoming Mayor and Council will be sworn in at their inaugural meeting on Monday, November 9.

The new School Trustees will attend their first school board meeting on Tuesday, November 10.