The 2017 municipal election to choose Canmore’s next council to guide the community through the next four years has officially begun, with 14 candidates running for councillor and two for mayor.
With nearly six years as mayor under his belt, John Borrowman has put his name forward again and is challenged by longtime councillor Ed Russell.
Hoping to be on the next council are: Mark “Woody” Blackwood, Wes Christensen, Esmé Comfort, Kim Csizmazia, Chris Dmytriw, Chad Friel, Jeff Hilstad, Jill Jamieson, Jeff Laidlaw, James Louden, Karen Marra, Joanna McCallum, Vi Sandford and Rob Seeley. For a story on the candidates, see page 6.
Canmorites have multiple opportunities to meet the candidates as several groups have stepped forward to organize forums.
For longtime resident, environmentally engaged citizen and former town councillor Gareth Thompson, organizing and moderating an environment forum made sense to ensure candidates had a chance to share their thoughts on these issues.
Thompson said thanks to the depth of knowledge in our community on environmental issues, 19 questions were prepared. The range of topics, he said, reflects not only the number of environmental issues municipally elected officials should be concerned with, but the level of engagement on these issues that the community has.
“In Canmore particularly, we are surrounded by the environment,” he said. “Environment to us means wildlife, it means recreation; it also, to many of us, means environmental stewardship opportunities and taking advantage of those. It also means the responsible use of energy and it can also mean being a champion for climate and trying to minimize our impact and it can be doing the right thing when it comes to waste.
“So it is my view that these various kinds of environmental issues are important to most Canmore voters and certainly as a past member of council, goodness knows the environment came up in so many ways, shapes and forms. I believe knowing a candidate’s perspective on environmental issues is essential to making good decisions when it is time to cast a vote.”
The candidate forum on the environment is next Wednesday (Sept. 27) at 7 p.m. at Creekside Hall in the Canmore Seniors Centre downtown. Go to www.candidatequestions.me for the questions. Thompson said the format would also allow each candidate to give a statement about themselves, and an audience question and answer time.
A community forum moderated by Crag and Canyon editor Russ Ullyot is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 2 at Creekside Hall from 7-9 p.m.
The forum is hosted by a “consortium” of community groups from Eagle Terrace, Homestead, Larch, Palliser, Rundle, Silvertip and Three Sisters Mountain Village, according to the Town’s website.
Canmore Library will host a forum on Wednesday, Oct. 4 at Creekside Hall from 7-9 p.m., moderated by former public school superintendent Brian Callaghan.
The Canmore and Area Mountain Bike Association partnered with Canmore Trail Culture, Canmore Community Cruisers and Canmore Cycling Culture to host a trail-based outdoor recreation and active transportation forum on Oct. 5 at the Canmore Opera House on Spring Creek Drive from 6-8 p.m.
Bow Valley Builders and Developers Association October luncheon on the second Thursday (Oct. 12) is also being held as a candidate forum from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Silvertip.
Returning officer Cheryl Hyde said residents of Canmore should remember from the last municipal election in 2013 that voter identification requirements have changed.
The fact that residents must bring photo identification, or what is specified as acceptable identification for the purposes of voting, gets complex when considering the fact that 20 per cent of homes in the community are second, or even third, residences.
“If you have two residences, you have to decide what your primary residence is on election day and there is a list of criteria in the act and on (the Town of Canmore’s) website,” Hyde said. “If you are still confused, because a lot of people have two places, the act says first it is the address on your drivers licence, second the address your income tax is mailed to and third the address at which you receive most of your mail.”
The Town of Canmore has advance polls on Oct. 5, 6, 10 and 11 from 3-7 p.m. and Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There are also special mail-in ballots, and opportunities for those incapacitated to be able to vote.
Go to www.canmore.ca for more information on how, as well as voter identification requirements and advance polls.
