A town hall meeting planned by OneBC leader Dallas Brodie will no longer take place at the Creston and District Community Complex after the Regional District of Central Kootenay cancelled the booking, despite initially approving it.
The event had been scheduled for Feb. 12 at the publicly-funded recreation complex.
Brodie said she chose Creston as a stop on her party’s broader provincial tour aimed at connecting with residents in rural and smaller communities.
“Creston is very important, it’s located in southeastern British Columbia. I actually own property there. I love Creston,” she said, adding that many rural communities feel underserved and underseen by provincial politics.
“There’s a big hunger out there for people to be heard because some of these areas of B.C. get underserved since they’re far away from the main cities. It’s really important to speak to the people who are actually the backbone of B.C.,” she said.
RDCK explains cancellation
Brodie had initially rented space at the Creston Community Complex through the RDCK. An internal RDCK briefing note obtained by Vista Radio said the booking request from OneBC was accepted through standard procedures.
A rental agreement was signed and fees were paid.
The note emphasized the district’s neutrality, stating it “does not endorse, support, or promote the views of facility users, and a room rental does not imply agreement, partnership, or endorsement,” and “does not approve or deny bookings based on political views or affiliation.”
However, shortly after the booking was secured, OneBC was informed that the RDCK was cancelling the reservation.
In a letter dated Feb. 2, chief administrative officer Stuart Horn notified the party the district was exercising its discretion under the rental agreement to terminate the booking. Any fees paid were refunded.
“The Regional District of Central Kootenay hereby notifies you that it has cancelled the Rental Agreement in relation to the proposed Feb. 12, 2026, booking of the Creston Room at the Creston and District Recreation Complex. It is exercising its unfettered discretion to cancel under Section 2 of the agreement,” Horn wrote.
In a separate statement to Vista Radio, the RDCK said the decision was made with “the wellbeing of our community in mind,” adding that allowing the event to proceed “would not have aligned with our commitment to providing a safe and respectful space for community members.”
“After considering the potential impacts, allowing this event to proceed in an RDCK facility would not have aligned with our commitment to providing a safe and respectful space for community members,” the statement said.
“The RDCK remains a community-driven organization and continues to provide equitable access to publicly funded facilities for a wide range of groups and individuals.”
Brodie responds and community reacts
Brodie said she was not surprised by the cancellation, describing it as part of a broader pattern her party has encountered provincewide.
“This has been happening a lot wherever we hold events,” she said.
“It’s outrageous to me that this is happening. We are supposed to be a free and democratic society where all voices should have the right to be heard.”
She also raised concerns about public buildings denying access to political meetings.
“This is a public building, and it should be open to any groups who want to meet. It is outrageous that a publicly funded government building is picking and choosing who can meet in that building,” she said.
The cancellation has also sparked a strong reaction in the Creston Valley, with supporters accusing the regional district of political interference and censorship.
“They sent out a public briefing notice that said all the right things. They said we’re neutral. We don’t ban events, and then an hour later they cancelled it. They contravened their own policy,” said a Wynndel resident.
But Brodie’s presence in the valley has also prompted criticism from Indigenous leaders.
Members of the Yaqan Nukiy have publicly opposed her visit, citing concerns about her past statements on reconciliation.
In a social media post, Inismi Luke, a councillor for the Lower Kootenay Band, described Brodie as divisive and called for a peaceful counter-protest.
“I can’t believe I’m posting this and someone from this community and valley is aligned with a person like this,” Luke wrote. “This person, who thrives on fear and misinformation, she is here to stir the pot, and divide.”
In response, Brodie said her comments have focused on public claims surrounding unmarked graves at former residential school sites, arguing such claims should be supported by evidence.
She denied dismissing the existence of residential schools or the harms associated with them.
“This is not to say that there weren’t residential schools or that there weren’t things that happened there that were sad and unfortunate and probably included some abuse,” Brodie said.
“Really, this is about the 215 [unmarked graves in Kamloops] and there needs to be a reckoning on this portion of this file so that Canadians can really understand the truth, because without truth, any policies that are built on the basis of that story are weak.”
When asked about concerns her visit could be seen as divisive, Brodie said disagreement is essential to politics.
“By nature, politics has divisions in it. That’s what politics is,” she said.
“We have discussions. We get together. We talk. And if people can’t talk, they get angry. If you think that people having a different opinion from you is divisive, then I don’t know what to say to you.”
Despite the cancellation, organizers said Brodie still plans to be in the Creston area on Feb. 12. A new venue has yet to be announced.
Brodie said those who have signed up to attend will get an email prior to the event with information on the location.
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