The nomination period for the 2026 municipal elections opened Sept. 1, and so far all the current councillors have indicated they intend to run, one for mayor and the other five for one of the six open councillor positions.

The big news in the spring was Mayor Gladys Atrill signalling her intention not to seek re-election. Atrill has served on Smithers council since 2014 and has been mayor since 2019 when she stepped into the acting role after Taylor Bachrach vacated the office to run in the federal election. She defeated Joe Bramsleven in a 2020 byelection and was re-elected in 2022.

“I just came to the conclusion that this is the right time for me to step away,” she said. “I’ve been on council now for 12 years, and it’s been incredible in so many ways, but I have to consider four more years, and I just decided that this is the time for me to kind of step away and create space for someone else to take on the goal.”

Shortly after Atrill made her announcement, two-term veteran councillor John Buikema, announced he would step up as a mayoral candidate.

Buikema is counting on his experience as a councillor to give him an edge in the mayor’s race.

“It would be incredibly difficult for someone who has never been a town councillor to fill the mayor’s seat,” he said. “There would not be a familiarity with the issues facing the town, and there would not be established relationships with town staff that happen when someone is already a town councillor.”

Of the remaining current councillors, Sam Raven and Calvin Elliott were first out of the gate with public announcements on social media.

Raven made her intention known in a Facebook post following Buikema’s announcement saying it has been “an incredible term and I am so very happy that John Buikema is putting his name forward for mayor.”

On Aug. 24, Elliott became the second to express an intention to run and is standing on his voting record to get him re-elected.

“I want the people of Smithers to know that I am a dedicated and involved member of this community,” he wrote on Facebook. “The issues that impact you, impact me as well, and I hope to continue to be a voice for all of us in addressing these issues in the upcoming four years.”

Councillors Frank Wray, Laura Leonard and Genevieve Patersons have yet put out anything official, but all three confirmed with The Interior News that they plan on running.

Wray is seeking his sixth term as councillor having first been elected in 2008. Both Leonard and Paterson were first-time councillors in the current term.

The Interior News has yet to hear of any other prospective candidates from the general public, however, individuals who are interested have until 4 p.m. on Sept. 11 to file nomination papers.

Nominees must be 18 years old as of election day, a Canadian citizen, and a resident of B.C. since March 10, 2026. Candidates do not have to be a resident of Smithers to run.

Additionally, there are three trustee positions on the School District 54 board available for Smithers.

Nominees require the signatures of 10 nominators for mayor and councillor and two for school trustee.

General voting day is Oct. 17.