The Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce (NCCofC) will be hosting a series of three “Meet the Candidates” events that will provide voters in Alnwick Haldimand Township, Cobourg
and Hamilton Township an opportunity to sit across the table from each of the Municipal and School Board Trustee Candidates and engage in direct “one-on-one” discussion.
As guests arrive at the event (pre-registration is appreciated, but not required), they will individually be assigned to different tables where they will be joined by other random participants for Opening Remarks from the Chamber and brief platform statements from each of the participating candidates. Following that overview, the candidates will each take a seat at different tables and a bell will ring, signaling the beginning of five uninterrupted minutes of discussion, debate, questions and answers in a free-form, round-table conversation. After five minutes, the bell rings again, and all candidates will move to the next table.
“Over the course of the event, voters will hear a brief overview of every candidate’s campaign platform, meet every candidate individually, receive their campaign literature and have the opportunity to directly ask any specific questions they want answered” explained Ann Newell, Chair of the NCCofC Board of Directors. “It’s an event format that we developed with the express intent of ensuring that every voice has equal opportunity to be heard” added Newell.
This marks the second Municipal Election at which this format is being implemented throughout the three municipalities in the NCCofC’s jurisdiction – the concept was originally piloted in Cobourg in 2014 and met with overwhelmingly positive response from participants.
“This format provides an opportunity for voters to ask direct questions and get answers in a more personal and intimate setting than a traditional staged format allows” observed NCCofC Government President & CEO Kevin Ward. “The format allows exponentially more questions to be posed from more people in the same amount of time, and there will be a networking opportunity after the round table sessions for follow-up or extended discussion with the individual candidates.’
The Alnwick Haldimand event takes place Tuesday, September 27, 6:30 PM at the Fenella Community Hall.
The Cobourg event takes place Thursday, September 29, 6:30 PM at the Cobourg Lions Community Centre.
The Hamilton Township event takes place Tuesday, October 4, 6:30 p.m. at the Baltimore Recreation Centre.
For more information or to register for any of the three events, please visit www.NCCofC.ca
These events are being organized, hosted, staffed and paid for exclusively by the Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce for the benefit of our communities.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
