All-candidates forums set for East Kootenay aspect of electoral district, none (yet) for west (Nelson)

If Nelsonites want to view a live forum or debate amongst the Columbia-Kootenay-Southern Rockies candidates in the federal election campaign currently raging they will have to travel to do so. There is no forum or debate planned for the city, just over two weeks into the campaign, but there could st...

Photo: Freepik If Nelsonites want to view a live forum or debate amongst the Columbia-Kootenay-Southern Rockies candidates in the federal election campaign currently raging they will have to travel to do so. There is no forum or debate planned for the city, just over two weeks into the campaign, but there could still be one cobbled together over the course of the final three weeks before the big day arrives on April 28. Instead, there are six confirmed for the electoral district — which ranges across the south eastern corner of the province to the Alberta border — but the closest one will be held in Cranbrook, over 230 kilometres away for Nelsonites.

Voters can attend the all-candidates forum in Cranbrook on April 14 at the Key City Theatre, with candidates fielding a series of questions submitted anonymously by the audience prior to the event. For those unable to attend, a recording of the event will be available on the Artistic Media Productions YouTube page following the event. This Friday in Kimberley voters will have the opportunity to hear confirmed candidates mix it up in the all-candidates forum.

Rob Morrison (Conservatives), Jim Wiedrick (independent), Kallee Lins (NDP) and Reggie Goldsbury (Liberals) are confirmed. Also running are Steven Maffioli of the Green Party and Laurie Baird of the People's Party of Canada. The event — hosted by the Kimberley Chamber of Commerce — will take place at McKim Middle School in Kimberley at 6:45 p.

m. It will not be televised or recorded. The earliest forum will be this Wednesday, April 9 (7 p.

m.) at the Mountain Meadows Golf Club in Elkford, while Invermere will host candidates on Tuesday, April 15 (6 p.m.

) at David Thompson Secondary School. Sparwood will also have an all-candidates forum, taking place on April 16 (6:30 p.m.

) at the Causeway Bay Hotel (Emerald room), and Fernie will host the candidate crew on April 17 (6:30 p.m.) at Park Place Lodge.

Advance polls for the electoral district open from April 18-21, with the general voting day set for April 28..