Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows candidates reflect on COVID-era election and community

With campaigning behind them, we asked candidates in the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows riding to share their experience of running in this COVID-era election and what they have learned about their community.

See our invitation to them and their responses below.

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Dear candidates,

As the campaign winds to a close, we wanted to ask you a few questions that are not about policies and party platforms, but about what you’ve experienced during this highly unusual COVID-era run for office. Please feel free to respond with a few sentences, and we’ll share your answers with our readers on election night before the polls close. Deadline for submissions is noon Friday (Oct. 23).

Question 1: What was the biggest challenge for you campaigning under COVID-19 restrictions?

Question 2: What was the most unexpected positive of this campaign for you personally?

Question 3: Tell us something you learned about your community during this campaign.

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• BC Liberal candidate Cheryl Ashlie

Question 1:What was the biggest challenge for you campaigning under COVID-19 restrictions?

Not being able to give or receive those spontaneous hugs from all of the people who have been so amazing throughout the campaign.

Question 2: What was the most unexpected positive of this campaign for you personally?

How receptive people to opening their doors and talk to a masked person. At first I thought it would not be well received, but it was pretty incredible how people really wanted to discuss the issues.

Question 3: Tell us something you learned about your community during this campaign.

There are a LOT of dogs and they pretty much run the household they live in. In a nice way.

• BC NDP candidate Lisa Beare:

No response.