Fernie all-candidate forum on the horizon

The Fernie Chamber of Commerce all-candidate forum is around the corner, with the chamber releasing an agenda for the event.

Moderated by Glen Purdy, all candidates for council and mayor in Fernie are invited to the event at the Fernie Community Centre on October 4, and according to the chamber, all 16 candidates have confirmed they will be there.

Split into two parts, the 14 council candidates will have three minutes each to introduce themselves to voters. With 14 candidates for the six council seats, each candidate will be held to the time limits. There will be a half-hour question period.

The general public is asked to submit questions ahead of time, with the cut-off for submissions being October 3, at 9am.

“These pre-submitted questions will be collated by the Fernie Chamber of Commerce and shortlisted to 14 questions that will be randomly asked to each of the 14 council candidates depending on what number they draw,” reads the chamber release.

Questions must be sent to election@ferniechamber.com.

The two mayoral candidates have more time, with five minute introductions, and a 35-minute slot for questions from residents.

Questions to the mayoral candidates will be submitted on the evening of the forum, in writing between 6pm (when doors for the event open), to 7:30pm. The questions will be collated by the moderator and directed at the mayoral candidates at his discretion.

“We are looking forward to a respectful and constructive all-candidates forum that will help the citizens of Fernie make an informed choice during this municipal election,” said Brad Parsell, executive director of the chamber.

“Every effort will be made by the moderator to ensure a balance of questions and time given to each candidate. We reiterate that the Fernie Chamber of Commerce is a non-partisan organization and we do not support any candidate over another.”

Doors at the Community Centre open to the public at 6pm, and the entire event is expected to conclude by 9:15pm. Event capacity is 400 people, if this is reached, attendees will be turned away at the door. The event will be recorded and uploaded later.

READ MORE: Fernie to decide between two mayoral candidates and 15 council candidates