CANMORE – The final seven Canmore candidates in the 2021 municipal election have filed financial contributions.
The final disclosure of election finances saw Coun.’s Wade Graham, Karen Marra and Joanna McCallum submitted their financial records. Mayoral candidate Vi Sandford, Jyn San Miguel, Hans Helder and Christoph Braier also submitted the records.
Sandford, who was a three-time councillor, showed expenses of $10,756 that came from $9,337 in contributions.
The highest individual contributions were $1,000 from each of Judith Smith, Charles Collyer and Mark and Karen Gruman. The largest expense was $3,800 for newspaper advertising followed by $1,800 for signs and banners and $825 for creating the election website.
Hans Helder, who ran for a councillor role, had expenses of $12,189, with it all coming from contributions.
The former two-time councillor’s largest donation came from Mark Faircloth for $2,000 and he had $1,000 from each of Frank Kernick and Anne Ross. The largest expenses was $3,120 in advertising, $2,400 for signs and $2,000 for election brochures.
Helder also made a $2,060 charitable donation to the Banff Canmore Community Foundation.
Wade Graham’s records showed $4,827 in expenses, with the majority coming from contributions. Michael Meilcke was listed as the highest donor at $1,000, while Gary Anderson, Kay Anderson, Zac Mills and Mitch Popilchak each donated $500.
Karen Marra, who was elected to a second term, had $887 in expenses that were entirely from her own funds. It was spent on a newspaper advertisement, a printed door flyer and election signs.
Fourth-time elected councillor Joanna McCallum listed $5,650 in expenses, including $4,050 in contributions and $1,600 for her own finances.
The largest expense was $1,042 for print materials, $1,031 for Canada Post and $936 for newspaper advertising. There was also $800 in reused photos and election signs.
The bulk of the contributions was between $100 and $500, with former elected officials John Borrowman and Esme Comfort contributing $300 and $300, respectively.
Jyn San Miguel, who garnered attention for his homemade election signs, had $1,685 in expenses with the majority coming from contributions.
San Miguel had $633 for newspaper advertising, $435 for professionally made election signs and $415 for his homemade signs.
Christoph Braier listed zero contributions, but instead had $6,000 of his own money used in the election campaign. According to the records, $3,163 went into signage and the rest was for a community-wide mailout and postcards.
Mayor Sean Krausert had the highest expenses in the campaign at $15,206
All candidates, regardless of being self-funded or accepting contributions, are required to file a disclosure statement with the municipality.
Candidates are required to disclose the names and addresses of donors whose contributions exceed $50. Disclosure statements must be filed by March 1, 2022.
