Chuck Collins, a former chamber employee and honorary chamber member, is doing his part to help engage Banff-Airdrie constituents in the upcoming federal election.
On Oct. 1, Collins is organzing an all-candidates forum to be held at the Cochrane Alliance Church from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Collins expects all five candidates to attend the event – incumbent and Conservative candidate Blake Richards, Green Party candidate Austin Mullins, Liberal candidate Gwyneth Midgley, People's Party of Canada candidate Nadine Wellwood, and NDP candidate Anne Wilson.
To add some political clout to the evening, Collins has recruited Lindsay Seewalt, former Cochrane Eagle reporter and now communications advisor for the Office of the Councillors at Calgary City Hall, is moderating the forum while local businessman Stephen Simms will emcee.
Seewalt said she agreed to help Collins moderate and develop the evening's format because of her passion for politics and the democratic process.
“In my reporter days, I loved covering political forums. Election season is an exciting time and local forums are an excellent way to see the range of perspective from your slate of candidates. Even if you feel confident with your vote, I think it’s great to stop by and listen in and see how your chosen candidate is on his/her feet and engage with your fellow community members in a thoughtful and respectful way," she said.
"I really hope to see some younger faces in the crowd, as we see social media outreach engaging a younger demographic and (I hope) turning voter apathy around.”
Seewalt is no stranger to candidate forums. During her time with the Cochrane Eagle, she helped organize and develop both forums for the most recent municipal and provincial elections.
"As a moderator my goal is to keep the dialogue moving along in a timely and respectful manner, as well as to present a balanced array of questions,” she said.
So far, Collins has had to self-fund the event but said he would happily take donations to support the forum. Anyone wishing to help out can contact him at [email protected].
