OneBC fields Vernon resident Chantel Gibbs in Vernon‑Lumby contest
The provincial campaign in Vernon‑Lumby expanded this week as OneBC confirmed Vernon resident Chantel Gibbs will contest the riding in the Oct. 24 provincial election.
Gibbs is the owner of Tax Informed Financial Planning and is a board member of the Canadian National Christian Foundation. Her candidacy adds another option for voters in a riding already being contested by the incumbent and at least one other declared challenger.
- Chantel Gibbs — OneBC (Vernon resident; business owner)
- Harwinder Sandhu — New Democratic Party (incumbent MLA)
- Kevin Acton — B.C. Conservative
OneBC emerged this year as a splinter from the B.C. Conservatives after internal controversy. The party is registered with Elections B.C., though it does not hold official party status in the legislature. The party’s public candidate list currently displays 12 names.
"More than 300 people have signed up to run under the OneBC banner,"
The claim comes from OneBC interim leader Dallas Brodie, who has been a prominent figure in the party’s formation after she was ejected from the B.C. Conservatives in March 2025. That split followed comments by former B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad about residential schools that prompted internal fallout.
Under provincial rules, candidates have until Saturday, Oct. 3 to submit nomination forms to Elections B.C., giving the public and local parties a short window to finalise their slates. While OneBC says many people have registered interest, the discrepancy between the party’s claimed sign‑ups and the smaller number on its public candidate roster highlights ongoing organisation and registration processes leading into the writ period.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Election date | Oct. 24, 2026 |
| Nomination deadline | Oct. 3, 2026 |
| Parties with named candidates (so far) | OneBC, B.C. Conservatives, NDP |
Locally, the addition of a OneBC candidate alters the dynamic in a riding where vote splitting could have an impact. The incumbent, Harwinder Sandhu of the New Democratic Party, represents the existing government side, while the B.C. Conservatives field Kevin Acton. OneBC’s presence — as a breakaway movement with roots in the Conservative base — could influence the distribution of centre‑right and right‑leaning votes.
For Vernon voters, the questions now include how broadly OneBC will field candidates across the province, whether the party can translate claimed sign‑ups into official nominations, and how a newly formed party will organise local campaigns in a compressed timeline. The public candidate list available through the party and official filings at Elections B.C. will be the clearest sources for confirmed nominees as the nomination deadline approaches.
Gibbs’s background in financial planning and charitable governance will form the basis of her campaign messaging, though formal platforms and local priorities from OneBC candidates have yet to be widely published. With the writ period underway, residents can expect campaign materials and candidate events to appear in the coming weeks as contenders scramble to reach voters across the Vernon‑Lumby riding.
As the Oct. 3 nomination deadline approaches, the picture of who will appear on ballots in Vernon will sharpen. Voters who want to follow developments can track candidate filings at Elections B.C. and statements released by local campaigns.
The coming weeks will indicate whether OneBC can convert its organisational claims into a substantive presence in Vernon and beyond — and what that presence will mean for traditional party alignments in the region.
