There have been several big changes in the runup to the Oct. 19 provincial election, including BC United discontinuing their campaign and a redrawing of riding maps that has profoundly affected the Ladysmith area.
Ladysmith, Chemainus, Cedar and surrounding areas have traditionally been aligned with south Nanaimo down to Herd Road in North Cowichan in the previous riding of Nanaimo-Cowichan.
This year Ladysmith residents and those residents north will be voting in a new riding: Ladysmith-Oceanside. It includes Lasqueti Island, Qualicum, Parksville, Nanoose Bay and then skirts west of Nanaimo and down to include part of Yellowpoint, Cassidy, Cedar and all the way south to a portion of Saltair.
The Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce will be hosting an all candidates forum to help local voters find out more about the area and more importantly about the candidates and the political parties they represent. It is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 2 with doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event running from 7-9 p.m. in the Aggie Hall in Ladysmith.
“We are expecting a lot of interest so it will probably be a full house,” said Jacquie Chellew at the Ladysmith Chamber.
Declared candidates in the provincial election are Brett Fee of the Conservative Party, Stephanie Higginson representing the NDP, and Adam Walker running as an independent candidate.
To make sure as much time as possible is available for all candidates to get their platforms across, the forum will include questions in advance only. There will be a few predetermined questions and the public can submit their questions online, using the form on the chamber's website, before noon on Sept. 27 or they can be dropped off at the chamber office on Roberts Street.
All questions must be able to stand by themselves and not require background or qualifying statements or opinions.
“The question form has an area for directing questions at specific candidates or for a random ask,” Chellew said.
Millie Stirling, LCU Insurance and chamber member, will be the moderator. There will be candidate opening remarks from 7:15 to 7:30 p.m. with each candidate given three minutes.
“The audience is asked not to interrupt any of the candidates during their opening remarks or during other times when they are talking,” Chellew said.
As far as the formal part of the event each candidate is given three rebuttal cards to be used except during opening remarks. Following the opening remarks candidates will be asked a preselected question with each candidate being given 90 seconds to respond. Rebuttal cards may be used in this portion of the forum. This question session will be followed by a 10 minute break and after that questions, submitted in advance, will be asked and candidates can use their rebuttal cards at this time as well. The forum will begin to wrap up with closing remarks at 8:45 to 9 p.m.
“Please note that, due to time constraints, there is no assurance that all questions will be asked," Chellew said. "If your question is not asked but you would still like to receive an answer, you can choose to leave your contact information in the designated space on the bottom of the form. This will enable your question to be forwarded to the candidate selected by you to respond back directly. Please be considerate when submitting questions, as we would like to foster a respectful environment.”
The forum is sponsored by the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board and the Ladysmith Chronicle is the media sponsor.
