Pickering voters who want a closer look at their choices in this month's municipal election can now watch recordings of the city's candidate forums from home.
Videos of the mayoral candidate forum, along with forums in the Ward 1, Ward 2 and Ward 3 council races, have been posted online ahead of the Oct. 26 municipal election, Daily Durham reported.
The mayoral forum was held Oct. 7. In Ward 1, the forum featured only candidates running for local councillor, because Maurice Brenner was acclaimed as regional councillor with no opponent to face.
Who organized the forums
The mayoral forum and the Ward 1 and Ward 2 events were organized by three neighbourhood groups: the Fairport Beach Neighbourhood Association, the Pickering West Shore Community Association and the Rougemount Community and Recreation Association.
The Ward 3 forum was hosted separately by the Greenwood Community Association.
Voting opens Oct. 19
For Pickering residents, the election effectively starts next week. Online voting runs from Oct. 19 through Oct. 26, and election day itself falls on Monday, Oct. 26.
That timeline means voters have a narrow window to review the candidates before casting a ballot. The forum recordings offer one of the few chances to hear contenders for mayor and council answer questions side by side.
The forums cover the city's top municipal jobs. The mayor sits on Pickering council and Durham Regional Council, while ward councillors represent their neighbourhoods on local decisions including development, roads, parks and city services. Regional councillors represent Pickering at the upper-tier regional level.
Ward 1 residents will choose a local councillor only, after Brenner's acclamation as regional councillor. Voters in Wards 2 and 3 will also see their local candidates debate in their own ward forums.
Anyone who missed the forums when they took place can watch them at their convenience, and the recordings remain a resource right through the close of online voting on Oct. 26.
