Lorraine Michetti

Candidate for Mayor of Pouce Coupe. All Pouce Coupe candidates

Photo: Energeticcity.ca, 2023 (photo credited to the Village of Pouce Coupe)

Running for	Mayor of Pouce Coupe
Status	Former mayor (2016 by-election, acclaimed 2018); lost in 2022, 79 votes to 84^[1]
Occupation	Bookkeeper; owner of A & D Office Services Ltd., a Dawson Creek bookkeeping and tax firm, per an older Village biography and its BBB listing. A 2025 review on the firm's website mentions a "new owner", so she may have sold it^[2]^[3]^[4]
Ties to Pouce Coupe	Said in 2021 she had lived in the village for 36 years^[5]
Place of residence (official)	Pouce Coupe^[6]
Campaign page	None found

Background

She said in 2021 that she had lived in Pouce Coupe for 36 years.^[5] An older Village biography describes her as a bookkeeper since 1997 and the owner of A & D Office Services Ltd.^[2] The firm, at 116 10200 8 Street in Dawson Creek, offers bookkeeping, tax, payroll and GST filing. Its Better Business Bureau profile gives a founding date of 1984 and lists her as the principal contact.^[3] It was still operating in 2026, but customer reviews on its website refer to "the new owner, Foley Dada," alongside staff member "Lorraine." Ownership may therefore have changed, and we could not confirm her current role.^[4] No information on her education was found. Before her first election she was a "fierce critic" of then-Mayor William Plowright, had alleged financial impropriety by the former mayor and Village staff, and was pursuing a defamation lawsuit against the former mayor and the estate of the late chief administrative officer.^[7]

Electoral history

2016 mayoral by-election: won with 109 votes to Tyler Randall's 84 and Ron Kelly's 16, on a platform of "opening up village finances."^[7]
2018: returned by acclamation.^[8]
2022: lost to Danielle Veach, 79 votes to 84.^[1]
2023: fined $300 by Elections BC for putting $3,100 of her own money into her 2022 campaign, over the $2,500 limit. She was her own financial agent, cooperated and returned the excess.^[9]

Record as mayor, 2016 to 2022

From the 2020 to 2022 minutes:

April 1, 2020: moved a 25 percent cut to 2020 property taxes during COVID, carried 3-2.^[10]
August 19, 2020: moved "remedial action against North Winds Wellness Centre," carried 3-2.^[11]
October 21, 2020: left the meeting on a proposed Village land sale because the buyer was her spouse.^[12]
2021: voted against removing herself as regional district director (tied 2-2),^[13] and against a policy to acknowledge Treaty 8 territory at the start of council meetings (carried 2-1).^[14]
October 6, 2021: the council voted 4-1, over her opposition, that "the Mayor does not receive or sit on any portfolios" and to state that her posts "were the personal views of the Mayor and not the views of council."^[15] The B.C. Supreme Court twice reversed council's removal of her portfolios.^[16]
April 25, 2022: the lone vote against cutting the library budget by $50,000, a motion moved by then-Councillor Veach.^[17]

Two councillors and the chief administrative officer resigned during the 2018 to 2022 term.^[18]

Public record and controversies

February 2021 posts. She posted "Don't want Pipeline's? They want to protect our land. Yeah ok" with photos of garbage-strewn homes, and separately compared gun owners to Jews "waiting for my cattle car." The posts were widely condemned as racist and anti-Indigenous. Regional leaders and the Treaty 8 Tribal Association called for her resignation. She apologized, promised cultural training and refused to resign, calling it "cancel culture."^[5]^[19]^[20]
September 2021. Posted "I want to see these hospitals where the Covid unvaccinated people are. We all know the news lie!"^[21]
Challenge to the 2022 result. She petitioned to void Veach's election, alleging vote buying (coffee and cinnamon buns at a "Tea and Talk"). The B.C. Supreme Court dismissed the petition in January 2023, finding Veach's "purpose in providing provisions was politeness, not politics." The Court of Appeal dismissed her appeal in July 2023.^[22]^[23]
2024 tax debate. "It's a joke... Raising property taxes on residents who are already struggling to make ends meet with the increase in the cost of living, is unacceptable."^[24]
2026 records requests. She filed Freedom of Information requests about the planned North Winds Wellness Centre and about the Village's legal costs. The Village has spent more than $18,000 on outside legal help with them. "The real issue is why the Village chose to spend more than $18,000 of taxpayer money fighting a Freedom of Information request that the Privacy Commissioner ultimately ordered them to process." She says she wanted North Winds at the Farmington site rather than in the village.^[25]

2026 campaign and platform

To Energeticcity.ca, July 20, 2026: "Accountability and transparency are the most important things with your residents of Pouce Coupe... Every major project you do, you take it out to the village, and you ask them if they approve of [it]." Her stated priorities are infrastructure repairs, local investment, updating bylaws and policy, and financial stability: "Those are not campaign promises; those are an everyday thing that a mayor should do."^[26]

No campaign page or written platform was found.

News coverage as a candidate

Energeticcity.ca on July 20, September 4, 11 and 12, 2026; The Broken Typewriter on September 7 and 15 ("back for a rematch");^[27] and Rob Brown's regional overview of September 21, which noted her "turbulent chapter in village politics."^[28]

Promises and delivery

From her 2016 by-election and 2018 campaigns. Her 2022 platform is not rated because she lost that election.

Other work during her term: she started the sewage lagoon repairs. She inspected the lagoon in May 2020, and in 2022 moved the $750,000 repair pre-approval, a letter asking the province and Ottawa for help, and the repair contract. Veach seconded two of those motions.^[29]^[30]^[31]^[32]

What they promised	When	What happened	Verdict
"Opening up village finances."	Apr 2016^[7]	No specific finance-disclosure measure was found (minutes before 2020 were not reviewed). In 2020 she moved a 25 percent property-tax cut,^[10] and in May 2021 she was the only vote against receiving the draft financial statements; the minutes give no reason.^[33]	No record found
In favour of "having a marijuana dispensary in Pouce Coupe."	Oct 2018^[34]	Weedmart in Pouce Coupe became the third private cannabis store licensed in B.C. in December 2018. Michetti: "It was a no-brainer." Her vote on it was not checked.^[35]	Delivered

What the record shows

Facts. Mayor from 2016 to 2022, first elected on a finance-transparency platform. Her second term was dominated by her 2021 posts, council's attempts to sanction her (twice reversed in court) and three resignations. She lost by five votes in 2022, lost two court challenges to the result and was fined for over-contributing to her own campaign. Since 2022 she has been the village's most persistent outside critic on taxes, the library and records requests.

Our reading (inference, not fact). Her campaign is a referendum on the Veach council's tax increases and its handling of records requests. It also carries the 2021 controversy, which Treaty 8 nations and neighbouring councils publicly condemned and which could affect Pouce Coupe's regional relationships if she wins.

Questions worth asking. Does she still favour the 2020 tax-cut approach, given the lagoon, water and sewer costs? Where does she stand on North Winds now? How would she work with councillors who voted to remove her portfolios? How does she view the 2021 posts today?

Sources cited on this page

Energeticcity.ca, Oct 16, 2022, "Danielle Veach elected mayor of Pouce Coupe". energeticcity.ca/2022/10/16/danielle-veach-elected-mayor-of-pouce-coupe/
Village of Pouce Coupe, Biographies page (older Village website, undated). poucecoupe.icompasscms.com/content/biographies
Better Business Bureau, A&D Office Services Ltd. business profile. bbb.org/ca/bc/dawson-creek/profile/bookkeeping-services/ad-office-servi…
A & D Office Services Ltd., company website (home page and customer reviews). adofficeservices.ca/
CBC News, Feb 21, 2021, Pouce Coupe mayor's Facebook post. cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/pouce-coupe-mayor-racist-post-1.592…
Village of Pouce Coupe, Notice of Election by Voting, Notice No. 10-1 (Sept 23, 2026). poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/52236/
Dawson Creek Mirror, Apr 10, 2016, "Lorraine Michetti elected Pouce Coupe mayor" (Wayback Machine). web.archive.org/web/20210725190140/https://www.dawsoncreekmirror.ca/reg…
Energeticcity.ca, Oct 21, 2018, "Three new councillors elected in Pouce Coupe". energeticcity.ca/2018/10/21/three-new-councillors-elected-in-pouce-coup…
Energeticcity.ca, Dec 6, 2023, "Former Pouce Coupe mayor fined $300 for prohibited contribution to her campaign". energeticcity.ca/2023/12/06/former-pouce-coupe-mayor-fined-300-for-proh…
Village council minutes, Apr 1, 2020 (25 percent tax cut). poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/24061/
Village council minutes, Aug 19, 2020 (North Winds motion). poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/26435/
Village council minutes, Oct 21, 2020 (land sale). poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/27242/
Village council minutes, Mar 17, 2021 (regional district director). poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/29331/
Village council minutes, Apr 21, 2021 (Treaty 8 acknowledgement policy). poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/29625/
Village council minutes, Oct 6, 2021 (mayor's portfolios removed). poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/32002/
Energeticcity.ca, Mar 23, 2022, "Portfolio positions again return to Pouce Coupe mayor following court order". energeticcity.ca/2022/03/23/portfolio-positions-again-return-to-pouce-c…
Village council minutes, Apr 25, 2022 (library budget cut). poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/34546/
Energeticcity.ca, Sept 10, 2022, "Pouce Coupe set for major mayoral race". energeticcity.ca/2022/09/10/pouce-coupe-set-for-major-mayoral-race/
CBC News, Feb 25, 2021, Pouce Coupe mayor refuses to resign. cbc.ca/lite/story/1.5927233
Energeticcity.ca, Mar 4, 2021, "Treaty 8 leaders urge Pouce Coupe mayor to resign". energeticcity.ca/2021/03/04/treaty-8-leaders-urge-pouce-coupe-mayor-to-…
Energeticcity.ca, Sept 27, 2021, "Pouce Coupe mayor questions COVID-19 hospitalizations in recent Facebook post". energeticcity.ca/2021/09/27/pouce-coupe-mayor-questions-covid-19-hospit…
Energeticcity.ca, Jan 11, 2023, "Petition to remove Pouce Coupe mayor overturned". energeticcity.ca/2023/01/11/petition-to-remove-pouce-coupe-mayor-overtu…
B.C. Court of Appeal, Michetti v. Veach, 2023 BCCA 317. bccourts.ca/jdb-txt/ca/23/03/2023BCCA0317.htm
CJDC-TV, Apr 24, 2024, "'It's a joke': former Pouce Coupe mayor weighs in on potential tax hike and loss of library services" (Wayback Machine). web.archive.org/web/2024/https://www.cjdctv.com/it-a-joke-former-pouce-…
CJDC-TV, June 2026, "Former mayor questions Pouce Coupe over FOI costs as village cites strain on small staff". cjdctv.com/news/article/former-mayor-questions-pouce-coupe-over-foi-cos…
Energeticcity.ca, July 20, 2026, "Former mayor and current mayor of Pouce Coupe seek re-election". energeticcity.ca/2026/07/20/former-mayor-and-current-mayor-of-pouce-cou…
The Broken Typewriter, Sept 15, 2026, "Election 2026: Challenges ahead for Peace Region incumbents". brokentypewriter.ca/p/election-2026-challenge-ahead-for
Rob Brown, Sept 21, 2026, "Peace region mayoral races lead..." (Yahoo News Canada syndication). ca.news.yahoo.com/peace-region-mayoral-races-lead-214414042.html
Village of Pouce Coupe council minutes, May 20, 2020 (mayor's report: lagoon visit) (civicweb document 25647). poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/25647/
Village of Pouce Coupe council minutes, Jan 19, 2022 ($750,000 lagoon repair pre-approval) (civicweb document 33133). poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/33133/
Village of Pouce Coupe council minutes, Feb 2, 2022 (letter seeking senior-government help for the lagoon) (civicweb document 33360). poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/33360/
Village of Pouce Coupe council minutes, Aug 17, 2022 (lagoon repair contract awarded) (civicweb document 35651). poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/35651/
Village of Pouce Coupe council minutes, May 5, 2021 (draft financial statements) (civicweb document 30500). poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/30500/
Dawson Creek Mirror, Oct 2018, "Highlights from the Pouce Coupe council candidates debate" (Wayback Machine). web.archive.org/web/2022/https://www.dawsoncreekmirror.ca/regional-news…
Dawson Creek Mirror, Dec 13, 2018, "Pouce Coupe's Weedmart granted cannabis retail licence" (Wayback Machine). web.archive.org/web/2022/https://www.dawsoncreekmirror.ca/regional-news…