In just over a week’s time, electors in the District of Central Saanich will head to the polls to elect two people to their municipal council.
With eight people running in the by-election for two seats at the council table, voters have their work cut out for them when it comes to making an informed decision.
The News Review has provided outlines of each candidate (the profiles conclude in today’s edition and previous stories are available online at www.peninsulanewsreview.com) and there are two all-candidates events coming up in the next few days.
On Saturday, April 6, the Residents and Ratepayers of Central Saanich Society holds a forum from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Bentwood Community Hall. Questions — in written form only — will be asked of those candidates in attendance.
On Monday, April 8, the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce hosts a round table affair at Bentwood Bay’s Center for Active Living. Candidates will be split among tables and like the Mad Hatter’s tea party, people will change places often to ask questions of the candidates.
Both of these forums are looking to be tame affairs, with little debate on Central Saanich issues.
They will, however, offer more intimate contact between candidates and voters, with the potential to bring deeper understanding of where each one stands on matters important to the individual.
This means electors have to work a little harder on getting to know the people who might become their representatives.
Democracy is supposed to be interactive, with people taking it upon themselves to learn more about who is running for office and where they stand on local issues.
Hopefully this approach will help buck the trend of low voter turnout at the polls.