# Kurtis Rabel Candidate for Councillor, Pouce Coupe (incumbent). [All Pouce Coupe candidates](https://dawsoncreekelections2026.fyi/pouce-coupe#council)  Photo: [Village of Pouce Coupe, Mayor & Council page (cropped)](https://poucecoupe.ca/government/administration/mayor-council/) | **Running for** | Councillor, Pouce Coupe | |---|---| | **Status** | Incumbent; elected 2022, tied second with 170 votes[1] | | **Occupation** | Student Housing Manager, Northern Lights College, Dawson Creek (self-reported)[2] | | **Education** | BSc in Geography, University of Calgary (self-reported)[2] | | **Spouse** | [James Wall](https://dawsoncreekelections2026.fyi/pc-wall), fellow councillor and 2026 candidate[2] | | **Place of residence (official)** | Peace River Regional District, Electoral Area D[3] | | **Campaign page** | None found | ## Background From his Village biography (self-reported): born in Calgary; BSc in Geography from the University of Calgary; bought a house in Pouce Coupe in 2020 with his husband, Councillor James Wall; Student Housing Manager at Northern Lights College and support-staff representative on the NLC Board of Governors; director of the South Peace Arts Society.[2] In May 2023 he told council he was "currently employed with the Dawson Creek Chambers of Commerce and will recuse himself if ever needed."[4] The September 23 Notice of Election lists his place of residence as Electoral Area D of the regional district, not the village;[3] the September 21 declaration listed every candidate as "Pouce Coupe."[5] Candidates are not required to live in the municipality.[6] ## Council record, 2022 to 2026 About 13 absences (approximate). The council's most frequent recorded dissenter. His "no" votes include: - the 10 percent increase and the 2024 financial plan and tax bylaw;[7] - the 2025 financial plan, utility fee bylaw and tax rates (with Wall);[8][9] - the 2026 financial plan and 2026 tax rates;[10][11] - the council remuneration bylaw (August 2023, with Wall);[12] - the mayor's NCLGA lost wages (April 2023).[13] On the 2025 plan the minutes record that he "expressed opposition to the tax increase, emphasizing the need to grow the commercial and industrial tax base instead of increasing the burden on residents."[8] **Motions he authored:** a 5 percent tax increase "without reducing Museum or Library as Councillor Rabel feels they are vital to the community," defeated twice in 2024;[14][7] a policy ending food for council and staff at workshops, carried;[15] and, with Wall, a letter supporting Mountain Daylight Time, carried 4-1 (May 2026, draft minutes). **Conflicts declared:** Pouce Coupe Legion board member (October 2025);[16] arts-program and permissive tax exemption items (with Wall). **Process disputes:** in February 2023 his points of order "were not followed up on," and he and Wall had the minutes amended.[17][18] ## Organizations - South Peace Arts Society, director (self-reported)[2] - Northern Lights College Board of Governors, support-staff representative (self-reported)[2] - Pouce Coupe Legion board[16] ## 2026 campaign and platform No statement or campaign page found. Named as running by Energeticcity.ca.[19] ## Promises and delivery No checkable 2022 promise was found. A 2022 Dawson Creek Mirror profile is reported to quote him saying "I'm for transparency, accountability," but the article was never archived, so the wording cannot be confirmed. [Unverified] His record is consistent with that message: he pushed for a public survey on the park, a question period and a public posting for the CAO job.[7][20][21] Other votes during his term: on the lagoon, he voted against the December 2023 engineering pre-approval and for the work program and grant top-up; he voted against both 2025 playground grant applications.[22][23][24] ## What the record shows **Facts.** Voted against every tax increase and most financial plans this term while backing library and museum funding and arguing for a bigger commercial tax base. He and Councillor Wall, his husband, usually vote together and declare shared conflicts on Legion and arts items. **Our reading (inference, not fact).** With Wall he forms the council's recorded opposition on taxes and process. If both are re-elected and one or more challengers join them, the 3-2 majority could flip. **Questions worth asking.** How would he pay for the water and sewer plan without the increases he opposed? Which commercial or industrial growth does he have in mind? ## Sources cited on this page 1. Energeticcity.ca, Oct 16, 2022, "Danielle Veach elected mayor of Pouce Coupe". [energeticcity.ca/2022/10/16/danielle-veach-elected-mayor-of-pouce-coupe/](https://energeticcity.ca/2022/10/16/danielle-veach-elected-mayor-of-pouce-coupe/) 2. Village of Pouce Coupe, Mayor & Council page (official biographies). [poucecoupe.ca/government/administration/mayor-council/](https://poucecoupe.ca/government/administration/mayor-council/) 3. Village of Pouce Coupe, Notice of Election by Voting, Notice No. 10-1 (Sept 23, 2026). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/52236/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/52236/) 4. Village council minutes, May 3, 2023 (code of conduct tabled). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/39230/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/39230/) 5. Village of Pouce Coupe, Declaration of Election by Voting (Sept 21, 2026). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/52140/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/52140/) 6. Village of Pouce Coupe, Notice of Nomination (Aug 2026, PDF). [poucecoupe.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/vopc-2026-08-04-Notice-of-Nomi…](https://poucecoupe.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/vopc-2026-08-04-Notice-of-Nomination.pdf) 7. Village council minutes, Apr 3, 2024 (10 percent tax increase). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/42654/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/42654/) 8. Village council minutes, Apr 9, 2025 (2025-2029 financial plan, first reading). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/47223/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/47223/) 9. Village council minutes, Apr 30, 2025 (2025 financial plan adopted). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/47224/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/47224/) 10. Village council minutes, Jan 14, 2026 (2026 plan Scenario A; firearms letter). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/49235/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/49235/) 11. Village council minutes, Mar 11, 2026 (2026-2030 financial plan, first reading). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/49239/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/49239/) 12. Village council minutes, Aug 2023 (remuneration bylaw). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/39734/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/39734/) 13. Village council minutes, Apr 19, 2023 (NCLGA lost wages). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/38544/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/38544/) 14. Village council minutes, Mar 20, 2024 (5 percent alternative defeated). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/42128/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/42128/) 15. Village council minutes, Apr 17, 2024 (fire command truck; food policy). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/42678/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/42678/) 16. Village council minutes, Oct 2025 (Legion conflict declaration). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/47274/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/47274/) 17. Village council minutes, Feb 2023 (motion and points of order). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/37910/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/37910/) 18. Village council minutes, Mar 27, 2023 (2023 tax increase; minutes amended). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/38326/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/38326/) 19. Energeticcity.ca, Sept 12, 2026, "Local election begins in northeast B.C.". [energeticcity.ca/2026/09/12/local-election-begins-in-northeast-b-c/](https://energeticcity.ca/2026/09/12/local-election-begins-in-northeast-b-c/) 20. Village council minutes, Apr 25, 2024 (question period). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/42968/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/42968/) 21. Village council minutes, July 2023 (interim CAO appointment). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/39519/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/39519/) 22. Village of Pouce Coupe council minutes, Dec 6, 2023 (lagoon engineering pre-approval) (civicweb document 41269). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/41269/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/41269/) 23. Village of Pouce Coupe agenda package with draft Nov 6, 2024 minutes (lagoon grant uplift accepted) (civicweb document 45992). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/45992/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/45992/) 24. Village of Pouce Coupe council minutes, Aug 27, 2025 (park grant applications) (civicweb document 47254). [poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/47254/](https://poucecoupe.civicweb.net/document/47254/)