City councillor Oswald Sawh defeats incumbent mayor Colleen Smook in Thompson

30-Oct-2026

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Former councillor Oswald Sawh has defeated incumbent mayor Colleen Smook in Thompson, northern Manitoba's largest city.

With all six of the city's polls reporting as of 10:15 p.m. on October 28, Sawh was confirmed as the mayor-elect, with Smook, who was seeking a third term as mayor, coming in second.

Sawh, a certified public accountant and a founding member of the Thompson Humane Society, has served several stints as a city councillor since moving to Thompson in 1993. He was first elected in 2002 and served for two terms, taking on the role of deputy mayor in both terms.

He took a break from politics but won a seat on council again in a 2024 byelection.

He won 45.5 per cent of the vote on the night of October 28, with 1,043 ballots cast for him, to Smook's 863 votes (37.6 per cent), according to unofficial results.