Penticton to have byelection

A byelection is planned for June to fill the seat on Penticton city council seat left vacant by Jake Kimberley, who announced his resignation Tuesday for health reasons.

Kimberley, also a two-time former mayor, suffered a major stroke in July 2020 that initially left him hospitalized.

“Though both my physical and speech recovery has progressed steadily over the last seven months and we had been working toward a graduated return to council duties, I am not yet at a level which will enable me to fully perform duties as a Councillor for the City of Penticton,” Kimberley, who was 80 at the time of his stroke, said in a statement.

“There is a long list of people to thank for their support and mentorship through my 35-year career in municipal politics. Most importantly though, I would like to thank the residents of Penticton.”

Kimberley made history in July 1991 when he read the Riot Act from a police car after mayhem broke out downtown following an MC Hammer concert.