The Sept. 14 deadline is done and Maple Ridge voters now know for whom they can vote, Oct. 20.
They’ll have five choices when it comes to choosing a mayor in this year’s civic election. Council veterans Craig Speirs, Ernie Daykin and Mike Morden all want to be mayor, while former council candidate from the 2014 election, Doug Blamey, along with Mike Shields are also seeking the top spot.
The list is long for candidates seeking a position on Maple Ridge’s six-person council. Only two incumbents are running: Couns. Gordy Robson and Kiersten Duncan.
But another 23 people are seeking a spot on the six-person council.
In alphabetical order, the other candidates seeking a council seat are: Chris Bossley, Susan Carr, Onyeka Dozie, Judy Dueck, Mike Hayner, Andrew Hegedus, Bhupinder Johar, Lou Jose, Terry Kennedy, Rysa Kronebusch, Chelsa Meadus, Don Mitchell, Chris O’Brian, Rick Pennykid, Andrew Pozsar, Kevin Priebe, Alan Robbie, Glenn Schaffrick, Ryan Svendsen, Peter Tam, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Tuzzi and Ahmed Yousef.
According to the Community Charter, Maple Ridge is supposed to have a nine-person council, but council, in 2017, voted to remain a seven-person council, with the issue up for a review again in 2022.
In addition to choosing a new council, voters also will be asked to choose five candidates for the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows school board.
Mark Bailey, Kim Dumore, Robert Hornsey, Gord McCallum, Mike Murray, Brenda Rubenuik, Pascale Shaw, Colette Trudeau and Elaine Yamamoto are running for school board.
Voting will be an easy process for residents.
The City of Maple is offering seven days of advance voting for anyone who can’t make it on election day. Advance voting takes place between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., on Oct. 6, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17 and 18. The first and last two days of advance voting, Oct. 6 and 10, 17 and 18, all will be Maple Ridge city hall, in the downtown at 11995 Haney Place. Other locations are on the city’s website.
General voting day is Oct. 20, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. People can also vote by mail if they won’t be in town or if they’re disabled or in Ridge Meadows Hospital.
During the 2014 election, only 31 per cent of a possible 53,000 eligible voters turned out to cast a ballot.
• Voters who want to see the potential mayors of Maple Ridge, can attend a mayoralty candidates’ forum produced by the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Chamber of Commerce. But to do so, they have to register online first at ridgemeadowschamber.
The mayoralty candidates meeting takes place 7 p.m. on Oct. 4 at the Maple Ridge Seniors Activity Centre at 12150 – 224th St. Questions for the five mayoralty candidates, however, have to be submitted in advance, via the chamber’s website.
• On Oct. 1, the chamber is also hosting a Pitt Meadows all-candidates meeting at 7 p.m. at the Pitt Meadows Seniors Activity Centre, at 19065 – 119B Ave. Questions have to be submitted in advance for that as well.
So far, an all-candidates meeting for Maple Ridge has not been organized.