Congratulations to everyone who has entered their name in the 2014 municipal elections on the Saanich Peninsula.
It’s great to see so many people — 20 in the Town of Sidney alone — willing to add their names to this democratic process.
In addition to the 20 in Sidney, another 18 people have stepped forward in the District of Central Saanich and 18 more in the District of North Saanich. These are people vying for mayor and councillor of their community, as well as folks seeking a trustee’s chair at the board of education for School district 63 (Saanich).
This many names might seem daunting at first — how will we ever pick our candidates from among all those names?
That is where your participation comes in.
Democracy is about participation — you can’t simply sit back and let it come to you. Well, you can, but if you don’t add your voice and have a say in how things turn out on election day, you run the risk of being alienated by the system even further.
To help voters who may be undecided, the News Review will be talking to the candidates, asking them about their backgrounds and where they stand on local issues. There are candidates forums set for later this month and into November and you can find coverage of many of those right here in the PNR. Ongoing and recent stories for the election period can be found at www.peninsulanewsreview.com — just look for the Election 2014 tab on the home page.
We also welcome readers’ comments on issues during the election but remember, letters to the editor should not endorse any candidates, only address the issues.
Fifty-six people have stepped up this time. Now it’s your turn to ensure there is a robust election campaign.