Your Voice: 'Courageous Kelowna Nine' should reflect on words of Robert Frost after voting themselves a raise

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Dear Editor,

Kelowna city councillors Ron Cannan, Gordon Lovegrove, Mohini Singh and Rick Webber voted against the whopping pay raises during the first and second council meetings on the subject. (March 25, April 8).

I'm wondering why the four changed their minds and voted for the raises during the third and final vote? (April 15)

At the April 8 meeting, council voted 5-4 in favour of an amendment to the council remuneration adjustments. Mayor Tom Dyas praised the council's "courage" for passing the raises.

After the April 15 vote, Kelowna city clerk Laura Bentley wrote in an email to the media: "No members of council raised their hands to vote in opposition to adoption of the council remuneration bylaw. The draft minutes reflect a unanimous vote."

Unanimous: being of one mind; agreeing completely.

So it appears the Dyas-led council will now join the ranks of other famous people, groups and forums:

* Number One (William Riker, Capt. Jean-Luc Picard’s First Officer)

* The Dynamic Duo (Batman and Robin)

* The Three Musketeers (Athos, Porthos, Aramis)

* The Fab Four (John, Paul, George, Ringo)

* The Dionne Quintuplets (birth order: Yvonne, Annette, Cécile, Émilie, Marie)

* The Six Friends (Chandler, Joey, Monica, Phoebe, Rachel, Ross)

* The Seven Dwarfs (Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy)

* The G8 (the political forum that ran from 1997 until 2014: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom, United States)

* The Courageous Kelowna Nine

Who knows, perhaps the city council's unanimous vote will eventually begin trending on X (formerly known as Twitter), with users flocking to the hashtag #CourageousKelownaNine.

Any member of Kelowna city council who is thinking about or planning to run for council again in the October 2026 municipal election should reflect on the words of celebrated American poet Robert Frost: "Have courage and a little willingness to venture and be defeated."

David Buckna

Kelowna