Single-issue candidates elected in Penticton byelections say they see the big picture now

A lot of people get pulled into politics because of a single issue, and two councillors in Penticton walked a similar path when crime and public safety drew them into byelections but they say they see the bigger picture now.

Jason Reynen and Shannon Stewart are incumbents running for reelection to Penticton city council. Both were elected in byelections in 2025 to replace councillors who left for higher office.

They founded the community watch group Clean Streets with the goal of reducing the impacts of crime and homelessness, and made a name for themselves before their move to politics.

Clean Streets had a reputation as a “vigilante group” for several years, which Reynen and Stewart have denied.

Reynen said his frustration with crime in the city is what got him into politics, but he’s since learned a lot about what it takes to run a city.

“We had major issues with crime, people breaking into my shop, and my frustration with the lack of accountability from the city at the time. That’s what’s kind of spurred (my move to politics). I would say moving forward, there’s been a lot of learning about what we can and cannot do on council,” Reynen told iNFOnews.ca.

Stewart said running for council was a sensible move after she got involved in the community through Clean Streets.

“By helping to support people to be more connected to each other and more vocal in their community, then it was kind of a natural extension to put myself out there,” she said.

Former Kelowna city manager and ForChange committee member, and former Kelowna city manager, Ron Mattuissi said a lot of people run for council with the idea that they can make a huge sweeping change on one issue.

“A lot of people run for council and they come with, ‘I’m going to change this, I’m going to change that’ but they’re just one vote. And really, their ability to do things is their ability to get along and influence others,” he said. “What happens is they get on council, and they’re one trick ponies. Councils deal with a myriad of things. Thousands of decisions are gonna be made over those four years.”

Both Reynen and Stewart deny they’re one trick ponies because they’ve each learned a lot in their short time in office, from the day-to-day essential operations and processes to collaborate with other councillors and city staff.

Reynen said he’s not just focused on public safety. He wants to improve business, housing, roadworks and more.

Stewart said she’s learned how to prioritize the work that needs to get done in city hall.

“The primary role is to support the day-to-day and long-term operations of the city. And then secondly, to represent the needs and concerns of the community, of the taxpayers. Your own agenda is subsequent to that,” she said.

“If I’m lucky enough to be re-elected I want to really focus on helping develop a strong sense of collaboration and teamwork and cohesion.”