Convention
Our Conventions
Annually during the last week of April, the SILGA delegates gather to debate resolutions, get educated on local government matters and network with each other. The convention location moves between communities in the Southern Interior region. The City of Kamloops, the Tournament Capital of Canada, will be our host for 2024. Dates are April 30th to May 3rd. See you there!

Keynote Speaker
Dr. Mark DeVolder
Mark DeVolder is recognized as a global thought leader in change and transition management. As a researcher and practitioner for over two decades, the most compelling lesson Mark has learned is that change readiness is the top leadership skill of the day. In a world where disruption, uncertainty and crisis have become the norm, Mark teaches people how to navigate constant change.
Networking Events
Tuesday Evening Pub Night at Marten Brew Pub. The Elderly Brothers provide background music. 5 pm to 7 pm.
Wednesday Welcome Reception at 1516 Pub with Vernon’s own Duane Marchand on guitar. 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
Thursday Banquet at Vernon Prestige Lodge. Dancing to the Shawn Lightfoot Band. Cocktails at 6:00 pm.


Program
The convention committee is planning an ambitious program including many excursions around Kamloops highlighting the unique learning opportunities the Tournament Capital has to offer.
The convention starts on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 30th with many options, including golf and tours of Kamloops Wildfire Park, Rocky Mountaineer coach and the Kamloops Art Gallery. The convention evening entertainment kicks off with Pub Night at Cascades Casino.
We are very excited to open the convention at the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc arbour and listen to our keynote speaker Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir. Additional tours and educational opportunities will be offered by the staff and elders from TteS after the ceremonies. Resolution debate will take place on the afternoon of May 1st.
For our convention sponsors, the trade show will open on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 1st. The welcome reception will be held in the trade show area at the Kamloops Coast Hotel and Convention Centre.
Registration
Registration will open in early February.
For all the information on the tours and breakout sessions, click here.
Click here to go directly to the registration portal.

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Accommodations

There will be three hotels used during this convention with bussing available for the tours and the evening networking events. Cancellation policy – you must cancel 30 days in advance or you will be charged one nights stay.
Coast Kamloops Hotel and Convention Centre
(Main convention location)
1250 Rogers Way
Kamloops BC V1S 1N5
250 828 6660
Request the SILGA Delegates group pricing
group booking code 11304
Hampton Inn by Hilton
1245 Rogers Way
Kamloops BC V1S 1R9
778 471 9013
Request the 2024 SILGA Convention group pricing
Fairfield by Marriot 1475 Hugh Allan Drive Kamloops BC V1S 1J3
778 471 0902
Request the 2024 SILGA Convention group pricing
Resolutions
Resolution debate will take place on the afternoon of Wednesday May 1st. Deadline to submit resolutions is February 29th.
2023 SILGA Resolutions
UBCM Resolution Procedures
UBCM Resolutions Database
Late Resolutions
Resolutions not received by February 24th will be considered late resolutions and must go through the following procedures to be considered at the AGM.
Late resolutions may only be introduced if received by the Resolutions Committee Chair at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the commencement of an Annual Meeting. Only emergent resolutions of a regional nature received after the deadline will be considered for acceptance by the resolution committee. Submissions must include the rationale as to why the resolution would be considered emergent.
Please click here for the AGM rules and procedures handbook.
This Year's Nominations
Nominations
Nominations for the 2024-25 SILGA Board of Directors will close on February 29th. Positions to be filled are President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President and seven Directors. One member of the SILGA board must be an Electoral Area Director of a member Regional District. Those presently serving may run for another term if they so wish. Nominations from the floor will be accepted.

Aimee Grice, Town of Oliver Councillor
President

Aimee Grice, Town of Oliver Councillor
President
Aimee is a wife and mother of two lovely children. She is currently the House Manager and Marketing and Promotions Coordinator at Venables Theatre in Oliver and has been there since 2016. She absolutely loves the arts and is grateful to be working in that field.
Aimee is a passionate advocate for the residents of the SILGA region. In the past four and a half years as a Councillor, she has taken many opportunities to expand her knowledge in the field of local government and earned her Level 1 (first term) Certificate in Local Government Leadership from LGLA. She aims to stay active in all levels of government and is a member of the constituency association for her MP. She also played a key role in the election of her current MLA.
Affordable housing is one of Aimee’s passions. There are many in our region who are precariously housed, experiencing homelessness, couch surfing and dealing with unpleasant and even dangerous rental situations. It takes all levels of government working together, including service organizations in the conversation, and really listening to the needs of those who are under-housed to get to the root of the problem. Aimee has advocated for changes to the BC Building Code to allow municipalities to zone for tiny homes and for flexibility in Provincial funding so that communities can work creatively and within their means to provide housing for their residents.
As a member of a working class family, Aimee understands the needs and struggles of many of the residents of our region. She is passionate about this work and endeavors to represent our region with compassion and tenacity to ensure no one is left behind.
- Phone:250 408 4280
- Email:

Louise Wallace Richmond, City of Salmon Arm Councillor
1st Vice President

Louise Wallace Richmond, City of Salmon Arm Councillor
1st Vice President
She is passionate about community-building, creativity and collaboration and is honoured to serve Salmon Arm as a second term city councillor in keeping with her long-standing interest in politics, public affairs and communications.
Her community committee work includes, the Housing Task Force, the Social Impact Advisory Committee and the Airport Commission. Louise was elected to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in March of 2023 and looks forward to representing the region at the federal table.
SILGA, where she now servers as First VP, has been exemplary in its advocacy for the region and is a tribute to the power of collective impact.
- Phone:250 833 5554
- Email:

Bill Sarai, City of Kamloops Councillor
2nd Vice President

Bill Sarai, City of Kamloops Councillor
2nd Vice President
Before being elected to City Council, I had volunteered to the following organizations:
- Norbrock Soccer Executive Committee
- A E Perry Elementary School PAC Executive
- Coached Girls and Boys Youth Soccer
- Kamloops Sikh Cultural Society Executive Committee
- City of Kamloops Social Planning Committee
- Western Canada Summer Games
- BC Winter Games
I was born in Abbotsford BC and then raised in East Vancouver and then finally settled in Kamloops in 1995, where my wife of 33 years and I raised our 3 kids and are now enjoying grandparenthood to our 2 grandchildren.
- Phone:250 819 8527
- Email:

Karen Cathcart, Electoral Area A Director, CSRD
Director at Large

Karen Cathcart, Electoral Area A Director, CSRD
Director at Large
When Cathcart is not working with local residents, you can find her with her family, her son and daughter in-law and three grandkids, Trey and Lexi and Theo. One of her favourite pastimes is shopping.
"What I love about local government is taking the time to meet with residents, finding out what their concerns are, and then working to assist them through the process. I enjoy explaining to residents about how local government system works – so I spend a lot of time explaining to folks what local government is and what it is not."
Why SILGA?
After 30 years in the post-secondary education field as an administer, I retired in October 2020. I have always felt local government is about educating folks, by doing this it makes for a more holistic approach to decision making. I am ready to expand my knowledge base throughout the local government systems and the various committees. SILGA is a network of committed folks working hard to move the platform of local government forward. I’ll like to be part of that process.
Thank you for your consideration.
- Phone:250-344-8357
- Email:

Spencer Coyne, City of Princeton Mayor
Director at Large

Spencer Coyne, City of Princeton Mayor
Director at Large
Spencer believes that local government is the most effective form of government and that the day to day actions and decisions made by local policy makers have the most direct impact on citizens. He is a strong believer in partnerships and regional cooperation; this is why he has put his name forward for Director at Large.
In his role of Mayor of Princeton, he is the Chair of the Vermilion Forks Community Forest Corporation a partnership between the Town of Princeton, Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen and the Upper Similkameen Indian Band. He is the Chair of the Similkameen Valley Planning Society an economic development partnership that includes the Town of Princeton, Village of Keremeos, Lower Similkameen Indian Band and RDOS electoral Areas B, G, and H. Spencer believes that it is through these partnerships we can create a more prosperous Similkameen Valley for all who live there. Spencer is the Vice-Chair of the Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen where he works with other area representatives and member municipalities of the RDOS on a regular basis to not only strengthen his community but the region as a whole.
Spencer is a father of three, a two, ten and thirteen year old. It is their future that brought him back into politics after a thirteen-year hiatus.
Spencer believes that regional cooperation makes us stronger and when we work together our collective voice carries more weight.
- Phone:250 295 5553
- Email:

Adam Etchart, City of Merritt Councillor
Director at Large

Adam Etchart, City of Merritt Councillor
Director at Large
After attending University College of the Cariboo/TRU he has spent over 20 years working in the insurance industry as a broker and also an appointed agent for the motor vehicle branch. Working with community and helping others is a passion of his and he has learned a lot within the first term on council. 2021 was a catastrophic year for our region with floods and fires and the need to network and plan for emergencies is more urgent with the effects brought on by climate change. Adam was previously a board member of the Nicola Valley Food Bank and currently is a board member for the Phelan Senior’s Citizens Society housing board. Other council committees include Finance Committee, Police Committee, Museum Committee, and liaison with other groups in the community as well.
Adam has enjoyed the sessions put on by SILGA over the last term and would he be honoured to work with such a dedicated group as a Director at Large. Thank you for reading.
- Phone:778 788 9191
- Email:

Isaac Gilbert, City of Penticton Councillor
Director at Large

Isaac Gilbert, City of Penticton Councillor
Director at Large
Born and raised in the automotive capital of Canada - Windsor, Ontario - Isaac’s dad is an autoworker at Chrysler and his mother is a hairdresser and they taught him the lessons of hard work and co-operation are the key to success.
A love of the outdoors brought Isaac to British Columbia nearly 15 years ago, where he began work as an arborist before beginning work with BC Parks as a ranger. He’s called Penticton home since 2016.
Isaac believes in being part of the community and giving back, which is why he’s immersed himself in Penticton. He’s acted in local productions, started a theatre co-operative and volunteers with a range of organizations. This desire to give back has allowed him a unique perspective into the challenges faces by the entire community.
Elected to council for the first time in November, Isaac spent the previous four years as the chair of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and that provided insight into how local government works and the need to have strong and diverse voices at the table.
Isaac’s background means he understands the complexity of public safety but he blends that boots on the ground knowledge with his interests in urban planning, policy writing, and human ecology.
Believing municipalities play an important role in a healthy, safe, and trusting community is what led Isaac to run for council along with wanting to help amplify the community’s voice when dealing with other levels of government.
As a Director-at-Large, Isaac would bring his knowledge of provincial government operations to bear to ensure the region is getting the support and resources it deserves.
With a reputation as a consensus builder and innovative thinker, Isaac looks forward to be able to serve the SILGA membership.
- Phone:250 460 2528
- Email:

Charlie Hodge, City of Kelowna councillor
Director at Large

Charlie Hodge, City of Kelowna councillor
Director at Large
Charlie spent more than 30 years as a journalist in British Columbia including 10 years as an editor or assistant editor. During his journalism career he worked in Kelowna, Kamloops, Salmon Arm, and Parksville - Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island. Hodge has written three books including last year’s historical-fiction novel – Lost Souls of Lakewood - The History and Mystery of Blaylock’s Mansion. He also penned Golly Gee - It’s Me! - a Canadian best-selling biography on hockey legend Howie Meeker and Stop It There – Back it Up a 50 year look at the NHL.
Charlie is in his fifth term as an elected City Councillor. He is also currently a Director on the Regional District of Central Okanagan Director for his fifth term. During current and previous council terms Charlie's held numerous portfolios or committees including Okanagan Basin Water Board, protective services, tourism, chamber of commerce, environment, youth, accessibility committee, women’s and community committee, public works and operations, parks and open spaces, regional library board, Downtown Kelowna Business Association and housing.
Hodge is well known for his knowledge and background in strategic planning, conflict resolution, as a skilled facilitator, a public speaker, Master of Ceremonies, and effective personal coach.
Charlie’s creative promotional skills and strategic planning have been utilized for many years in the Canadian music industry, provincial, national, and international environmental fields, and municipal, provincial, and federal politics.
His hobbies include gardening and fishing. Charlie shares his Okanagan home with wife Teresa and five cats.
- Phone:250-808-0674
- Email:

Ruth Hoyte, District of Coldstream Mayor
Director at Large

Ruth Hoyte, District of Coldstream Mayor
Director at Large
As SILGA representative, Ruth serves on the MIABC Board as Director lending a hand to both the Finance and Claims committees. She brings vast experience in both business and community organizations to the table. Ruth has served in many leadership roles with the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Vernon Association, the Insurance Council of BC, the Insurance Brokers Association of BC, the Vernon Women in Business and as President of the Vernon Monashee Riding Association. She is also an active member in both community fundraising and catering operations of the Vernon Elks Lodge #45.
In 2013, Ruth was honored as Vernon’s Woman of the Year for her passionate contributions to business and community organizations.
Ruth would like to ask for your continued support as a Director at Large for the upcoming term on SILGA, an organization she feels lends a voice to our area members.
Thank you for your consideration.
- Phone:250-307-5356
- Email:

Ward Stamer, District of Barriere Mayor
Director at Large

Ward Stamer, District of Barriere Mayor
Director at Large
Through my work experience as a logging contractor for 36 years and community involvement I have a strong understanding of our SILGA region and have positive working relationships with many residents, ranchers, forest industry and business owners, First Nations and multi-level government representatives. My 15 years of local government means I have experience in planning, budgeting and delivering services in my community and communities throughout the region.
I am on the board or a member of the following:
• Lions Club Member 30+ years
• TNRD Director
• Chair TNRD Regional Solid Waste Management committee
• SILGA Committees – Finance, Policy and Governance
Carleen and I have been married for over 30 years and have 2 adult girls and 2 beautiful granddaughters. .
I was asked to join the SILGA executive after the fall election and have enjoyed working with everyone as a Director at Large. I would like to be able to continue in that capacity for SILGA and am seeking the position as Director at Large. Thank you.
- Phone:250-851-6165
- Email:

Keith Thom, District of Peachland councillor
Director at Large

Keith Thom, District of Peachland councillor
Director at Large
My strengths lay in promotion and advocacy. SILGA is a critical step in having well-articulated resolutions from our membership and bringing them to UBCM and local MLA’s and MP’s. Many of us represent smaller communities within our catchment area and we need a strong voice. I would like to be a part of that team with SILGA.
There are two major mandates of the executive with the first been the facilitation of the yearly convention as well as providing educational opportunities throughout the year at locations across the southern interior. With education comes empowerment to face the day-to-day challenges that all of us face in local government.
The second mandate is the collection of resolutions from all our area members and ensuring they get on to the desks of the various ministers and then discussed in person at UBCM. We are much stronger as a collective voice.
I would like to continue to be that voice for you as a Director at Large, along with my colleagues on the Executive Board.
"Be the Change You Wish to See in the World"
- Phone:250-870-8891
- Email:

Barb Wiebe, District of Lillooet Councillor
Director at Large

Barb Wiebe, District of Lillooet Councillor
Director at Large
One of my first involvements in the community was to join the Royal Canadian Legion where I was on the Executive for five years - three of those as President.
I am currently in my third term as a Councillor for the District of Lillooet. My first term I was the Mayor's alternate and attended various committee meetings in the Mayor's absence.
During my second term I was our District's representative on the Thompson Regional Hospital Board, Explore Gold Country, Inter-Governmental Relations Committee, Ministry of Transport, Chair of the Miyazaki House Society as well as being appointed as Lillooet’s Director on the Squamish Lillooet Regional District Board.
On my own initiative, with the support of Council, I have become the chair of the Lillooet Board & BMX Association. We are working tirelessly to build a concrete skatepark in Lillooet. This is an ongoing project and with an enthusiastic board we hope to accomplish this within the next two to three years.
I also spent some time on the SILGA Board as a Director in my second term during Covid and was appointed this year due to elections and loss of bodies.
- Phone:250 256 7340
- Email:
2024 Sponsors
Without the continued support of the following sponsors, the convention wouldn't be such a success!
Gold Sponsors
BCLC
Corix Utilities/Chandos Construction/North America Construction
FortisBC
Municipal Finance Authority of BC
Trans Mountain Expansion Project
Silver Sponsors
BC Assessment
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
CUPE
Enbridge
ETSI-BC
Municipal Insurance Association of BC
Regional District North Okanagan
TELUS
Urban Systems
Bronze and Recognition Sponsors
AME
BC Hydro
BC Transit
Council of Forest Industries
CN
ILMA
Lidstone & Co
Local Government Leadership Academy
Shaw Communications

exhibitors - Aleksi, Ronan and Ron
Trade Show Exhibitors
Association of Mineral Exploration
BC Assessment
BCLC
BC Non-Profit Housing Association
BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association
BC Transit
Canada Post
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
CN
Corix Utilities/Chandos Construction/North American Construction
Council of Forest Industries
Enbridge
ETSI-BC
Fink Machine Ltd.
Fortis BC
ICBC
Interior Health Authority
Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC
Okanagan Basin Water Board
Statistics Canada
TELUS
Terus Construction
Trans Mountain Expansion Project
Urban Systems
Levels of sponsorship available are as follows
GOLD
-
Includes two registrations, allocated booth space as well as program, signage, website and video representation. Options are as follows:
-
10 minute presentation time to delegation
-
Welcome Reception sponsor
-
Banquet sponsor
-
Breakfast roundtable session (may be split between sponsors)
SILVER
-
Includes one complimentary convention registration, allocated booth space as well as verbal, website and print acknowledgement
-
5 minute presentation time to delegation
-
Sponsorship of delegate gift, complete with company logo
-
Name tag sponsor
-
Community Excellence Awards
-
Registration Desk
-
Pub Night
-
Reach for the Top
-
Wifi Password
-
Ted Talk
BRONZE
-
Includes one complimentary convention registration as well as verbal, website and print acknowledgement.
-
Shuttle Services
-
Grand prize
-
Thursday delegate lunch
-
Banquet wine
Recognition sponsorships
-
Educational/breakout session(s)
-
Speakers’ gifts
-
Coffee break(s)
-
Banquet Entertainment
Trade Show participant
-
Booth Space with power supply and signage
-
meals for 2 exhibitors during the trade show, including the welcome reception and banquet
Community Excellence Awards
Are you proud of your community or regional area’s accomplishments? Would you like it to be recognized at our convention and more broadly through social media and the news?
To promote the environmental, social, and economic well being of our member communities and to share ideas and best practices throughout the SILGA area, we have created awards to showcase a community in each of these categories. Deadline for submissions is February 1st. For more information on how to nominate your community, click here.

2021 Excellence Awards
See our ideas come to life
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