Protecting the future of jobs and education in the community is the topic for a pair of all-candidates meetings taking place in Maple Ridge.
Dale Hardy, executive member with the Maple Ridge Teachers Association and organizer of the events, said educators are worried that education is not going to be a high priority issue in the upcoming election.
"We felt probably housing, groceries, inflation, crime, would all be high issues," he explained, noting that they want to draw attention to the challenges in the public school system like the recruitment and retention of teachers and what percentage of the provincial budget will be going towards education.
Hardy noted that teacher workloads are only increasing and recent surveys show the number of teachers who want to leave the profession in the next two years is around 15 per cent.
The first all-candidates meeting will be taking place on Thursday, Oct. 3, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Riverside Centre, 20575 Thorne Ave. in Maple Ridge.
Incumbent BC NDP candidate Lisa Beare will be taking part in the discussion along with BC Conservative Party candidate Mike Morden, former mayor of the City of Maple Ridge for the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows riding.
The second one for the Maple Ridge East riding will be held on Monday, Oct. 7 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Whonnock Lake Center, 27871 113 Ave. in Maple Ridge. For this all-candidates meeting BC Conservative candidate Lawrence Mok has declined the invite and incumbent BC NDP candidate Bob D'Eith is the only confirmed participant.
When asked about why he declined Mok released a statement to The News.
"There is more at stake in this campaign than ever before. I believe my time is best spent speaking with voters one-on-one at the doors and listening to their concerns. This is my priority until October 19th," he said.
Hardy said he is disappointed Mok will not participate. He believes candidates have an obligation to have a sense of the education file and its importance.
“I believe he is ditching a responsibility,” said Hardy.
On Monday, Sept. 23, the BC Green Party announced a candidate for the Maple Ridge East riding, Kylee Williams, however, she has not yet confirmed her participation in the event either. Hardy said he has reached out to her campaign team as well as to the party and has received no response as of Wednesday morning, Sept. 25.
With only D'Eith taking part, the format of the meeting has been altered to include Dale Hardy representing the Maple Ridge Teachers Association and Christine McVeigh, with CUPE.
Hardy said the new format of the event will include more voices and engage the community more than a meet and greet. The groups involved, he said, have real concerns about the public education system in the province.
Clive Williams will be the moderator for both events. He was a Grade 5/6 teacher for more than 11 years at Golden Ears Elementary; then a principal at Meadowland Elementary, Webster's Corners Elementary, Eric Langton Elementary, Golden Ears Elementary, and Maple Ridge Elementary until his retirement in 2006. While a teacher he was the staff representative to the Maple Ridge Teachers Association and a member of the bargaining team. As principal he was the local representative to the BC Principals' and Vice-Principals' Association, (PVPA), and a member of the Maple Ridge PVPA for three years and a member of the local board's bargaining team. And he was a debate moderator in the last municipal election.
At each event the candidates will have two minutes to introduce themselves at the beginning of each meeting, and then a maximum of four minutes to answer a series of six questions. Then they will receive questions from the audience, scrutinized by the moderator, where they will have two minutes to answer. The all-candidates meetings will end with one minute closing statements and then a meet and greet.
All the candidates will be addressing the issues of providing and maintaining an appropriate level of funding for a community with a rapidly growing population, and education and economic opportunities for youth.
Questions will cover topics like public school funding, staffing, safe facilities, reconciliation, and inclusivity.
• The News has also reached out to B.C. Green Party candidate Kylee Williams who, as of Tuesday, Oct. 1, has not confirmed their attendance at the all-candidates meeting