Two local unions are teaming up to give residents a chance to hear from New Westminster board of education candidates.
The New Westminster Teachers Union and CUPE Local 409 are co-hosting an all-candidates meeting for school board candidates.
The meeting will be held on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. in the library at New Westminster Secondary School.
Stacey Robinsmith, who will MC the event, said people can write down questions and hand them in to organizers.
FUN WITH POLITICS
NEXT New West, New Westminster Environmental Partners and the Tenth to the Fraser blog have teamed up for an election mixer that aims to encourage younger voters to become more engaged.
Fun & Politics will be Wednesday, Nov. 2 from 5: 30 to 8 p.m. at Lafflines Theatre. In honour of the "silly season" that is part of elections, the event will feature a comic.
The comic will begin around 6 p.m., followed by candidate introductions and networking. The free event is designed to give voters a chance to connect one-on-one and question the mayoral, council and school board candidates.
Admission is free. Because liquor will be served, people must be 19 or older to attend.
"Just 24 per cent of voters participated in the 2008 civic election," said Tej Kainth, NEXT New West founder. "A lot of people, especially younger people, are disengaged with local politics. We hope that by bringing fun and friends into the process it'll help them to become more interested and involved."
MEETINGS SET
Two all-candidates meetings will give voters a chance to hear from candidates running for mayor, city council and school trustee positions.
The Queen's Park Residents' Association is holding an all-candidates meeting for mayoral and council candidates on Sunday, Nov. 6 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Centennial Lodge in Queen's Park. The district parents advisory council is holding an all-candidates debate for mayor and school trustee candidates on Thursday, Nov. 10 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the New Westminster Secondary School library at 835 Eighth St.
CROSTY CHATS
James Crosty says he's a man of his word.
Crosty was the only mayoral candidate who didn't attend the first allcandidates meeting of the 2011 civic election campaign, held on Oct. 18.
"I had booked a Citizens Chat at Coming Home Café six or seven weeks ago," Crosty explained. "It is one of the first ones booked. I keep my commitments. It's not right to think one is more important than the other."
Crosty supporters took leaflets specially created for the meeting and distributed them at the meeting.
"I make sure I meet my commitments head on," he said.
Crosty has been holding Citizens Chats, which are informal gatherings of people who want to chat with the mayoral candidate.
