Candidate responses now available in riding-by-riding comparison guides for voters
KELOWNA, B.C. — October 5, 2026 — B.C.’s tree fruit and wine grape sectors have wrapped up their Get Ag on the Agenda Civic candidate forums and survey, giving growers and voters an opportunity to hear directly from local election candidates about their priorities for agriculture.
The candidate survey, which was sent to all local government candidates in B.C.’s tree fruit growing areas (over 350 candidates), officially closed for council and mayoral candidates October 1 with 130 responses. The electoral district candidates have until October 6 to submit responses. Responses are now available on the BCFGA’s dedicated Get Ag on the Agenda landing page as a riding-by-riding comparison guide designed to make it easy for voters to see where candidates stand on agricultural issues. Final submissions will be added on October 7th.
Candidates were asked three questions about the actions they would champion to support agriculture, how they would engage with farmers, and the role local governments should play in helping agriculture prepare for drought, wildfire and other climate-related challenges.
“Local government decisions have a significant impact on agriculture, and growers need to know how the people seeking to represent their communities are thinking about those issues,” said Adrian Arts, Executive Director of the BC Fruit Growers’ Association. “With 130 candidates responding, voters now have a substantial resource to compare candidates’ priorities and perspectives on agriculture in their own words.”
The survey follows two agriculture-focused all-candidate forums held in the Okanagan in late September. The Kelowna forum on September 25 brought together 16 candidates, while the Vernon forum on September 28 featured 16 candidates.
The forums provided an opportunity for candidates and members of the agricultural community to discuss issues where local government decisions have a direct impact on farming, including water, land use, emergency preparedness and the agricultural-urban interface.
Together, the forums and candidate survey are intended to keep agriculture visible throughout the local election and give growers, residents and media straightforward information about candidates’ positions on issues affecting the sector.