Chilliwack voters will have several chances to hear directly from city council and mayoral candidates.
On Tuesday, Oct. 9 a unique type of forum will allow Chilliwack voters to “speed date” a candidate — that is, until the bell dings.
READ MORE: Here are your candidates
The event was organized as a way to “engage Chilliwack citizens in the democratic process,” said local business owner Amber Price, who organized the event, along with Kim Mallory and David Swankey.
“Speed Date a Candidate will be a lively, interesting evening of information and democratic engagement,” said Price.
Speed dating will get underway in the Sixty-Four Room of the Royal Hotel, accessed off Main Street. It starts at 6 p.m., with doors opening to the licensed facility at 5:30 p.m. Small groups will decide on questions for each candidate, and get four to five minutes of uninterrupted time to “speed date” that particular candidate. When the bell dings, each group must stand up, and move on.
There will be one wave of questions, followed by a break. If turnout is high enough, candidates will brave a second wave of questions, otherwise everyone can mingle and discuss what they have learned with each other.
On Oct. 10, an All-Candidates Meeting for council and mayoral candidates will be moderated by Chilliwack Progress staff, and hosted by Chilliwack Arts & Cultural Centre Society at the Cultural Centre. The council candidates’ forum will begin at 7 p.m. and run until 8:30 p.m, moderated by Progress reporter Jennifer Feinberg. There will be a 15-minute break, and then the mayoral forum, moderated by Progress reporter Paul Henderson, will start at 8:45 p.m. and run to 10:15 p.m.
READ MORE: Check out the election section
Then on Oct. 11, Chilliwack voters will get another All-Candidates Forum hosted by the Chamber/BIA but this one is for mayoral candidates, at the Cultural Centre from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Finally on Oct. 15, a chance in Yarrow from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m to hear from both mayoralty and council candidates. The Yarrow All-Candidates meeting will be held at the Yarrow Community Centre.
Here are more election details.
Advance voting days, are Oct. 10 and Oct. 17, at Chilliwack City Hall from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
General voting day is Saturday, October 20, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the following locations:
• Chilliwack Middle School Gymnasium, 46354 Yale Road
• Evergreen Hall, 9291 Corbould Street
• Greendale Fire Hall, 6485 Sumas Prairie Road
• Promontory Heights Community School Gymnasium, 46200 Stoneview Drive
• Rosedale Traditional Community School Gymnasium, 50850 Yale Road
• Sardis Elementary School Gymnasium, 45775 Manuel Road
• Watson Elementary School Gymnasium, 45305 Watson Road
• Yarrow Community Hall, 4670 Community Street