School board candidates in Maple Ridge have organized a meet-and-greet ahead of the election after being excluded from an all-candidates meeting.
“We understand that there were so many candidates that nobody would have had a chance to talk,” said school board candidate Pascale Shaw.
“So we decided, ‘You know what, let’s just do our own,’” she said.
The event is going to be casual. Each candidate will have a little table where they can put out pamphlets and election platform materials.
“It will be casual and comfortable and nobody has to stand up in front of a whole room full of people and answer questions,” Shaw said of the candidates.
Shaw added, alternatively, not every person wants to get up in front of a room full of people and ask a question.
“You can discreetly go and ask somebody a question if they want,” she said.
Shaw is also impressed that all the Maple Ridge candidates came together to organize the event.
“We’re running beside each other and we want people to know what we have to say and we’re doing that together,” she noted.
Nine people are running for school board trustee in Maple Ridge: Mark Bailey, Kim Dumore, Robert Hornsey, Gord McCallum, Mike Murray, Brenda Rubenuik, Pascale Shaw, Colette Trudeau and Elaine Yamamoto.
There are only five spots available.
Four people are running in Pitt Meadows for two spots: Korleen Carreras, Eleanor Palis, Jesse Sidhu and Katie Sullivan.
The Maple Ridge school trustee candidates meet and greet will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 14 at Colleen Findlay Place, 11601 Laity Street. Coffee and snacks will be provided.
Pitt Meadows school trustee candidates will have their chance to speak at the all-candidates meeting from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 15 at the Pitt Meadows Family Recreation Centre, 12027 Harris Road hosted by the Committee for Community Involvement. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.