Colin Basran spent big on Facebook ads in failed re-election bid

Photo: Contributed

Colin Basran spent between $1,500 and $2,000 promoting this re-election video on Facebook. He spent big on Facebook ads during his failed re-election effort.

Incumbent mayor Colin Basran spent big on Facebook advertisements during his failed re-election campaign.

Data from Facebook-parent company Meta shows he spent $16,500 on Facebook ads between Sept. 16 and Oct. 15, dwarfing every other council or mayoralty candidate.

Winner of the Kelowna mayor's race Tom Dyas spent a little over $1,100, just shy of the second-biggest Facebook spender of the election, James Kay, who spent just $1,200.

Basran, by far, spent more on Facebook than all other council candidates combined. He poured $10,000 into Facebook ads in the last week of the campaign alone.

Ron Cannan, Amarjit Singh Lalli, Noel Wentworth and Loyal Wooldridge all spent roughly around $1,000 on Facebook.

Tom Macauley ($651), Indy Dhial ($486), Anthony Shephard ($176) and Chris Bocskei ($20) also purchased Facebook ads during the official campaign period.

No other Kelowna council candidates appeared in Meta’s database.

The Facebook ads make up just part of a candidate's campaign spending. Expenses such as ads in traditional media, signage, video production costs, office space and more will not be disclosed until the new year. Candidates have until Jan. 13, 2023 to file their financing disclosure statement.

ElectionsBC’s spending limit for the Kelowna mayor's race was $95,665 while council candidates could spend up to $48,506.

Photo: Meta / Screengrab

Facebook advertising purchases between Sept. 16 and Oct. 15 for Kelowna council candidates.