ELECTION ’24 – Low-key Farmers Market forum kicks off local campaigning
Candidates speak at Farmers Market. (Image: Mel Rothenburger)
If today’s (Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024) Farmers Market election forum is an indication, the campaign is off to a slow start.
About 40 people came and went during the 90-minute forum, with four of the five candidates from the Kamloops Centre and Kamloops-North Thompson ridings taking questions. Only Ward Stamer, the BC Conservative candidate in Kamloops-North Thompson, didn’t attend. No reason for his absence was given.
That left the NDP’s Maddi Genn the only candidate in that riding who was there.
She, Peter Milobar (Conservative), Kamal Grewal (NDP) and Randy Sanderman (Green) were consistently hampered by microphones that refused to work, having to shout their remarks much of the time, accompanied by the barking of dogs brought by farmers market shoppers and the noise of the playground immediately next to the forum.
The candidates are to be commended for their patience and for doing their best, but there was little to distinguish their answers on the expected questions about addictions, the economy, climate change and healthcare.
Sunderman was candid about his aspirations: that the Greens elect enough MLAs to hold the balance of power in Victoria. Grewal promoted her party’s efforts to boost housing, Genn talked of making life affordable for middle-income families, and Milobar stressed the need for better health care, pointing out frequent ER closures and the loss of walk-in clinics in Kamloops.
No sparks flew over the BC Liberal-BC United collapse, or the social issues that have caused so much controversy over the past several months. Some of the questioners made longer speeches than the candidates.
Undoubtedly, things will liven up as the campaign goes on between now and Oct. 19 election day.
The next election forum will be held online Tuesday, Oct. 1 between 5 and 8 p.m., co-sponored by Castanet, Radio NL, the chamber of commerce, Kamloops Central BIA and North Shore BIA. A livestream link hasn’t yet been published.
The following night, Wednesday, Oct. 2, Transition Kamloops and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society-BC will co-host a forum on the environment at the TRU Clock Tower Theatre at 6 p.m.
- Mel Rothenburger.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
One of my concerns is the burning of the red bridge and how the elected candidates are going to go forward with its rebuilding.
In Kamloops, we now have a polygamous “octo-mayor” system. This month, one of the 8 was concerned the crane operator would end up landing his/her crane in the Thompson River. I think the crane operator didn’t need advice from one who was confused about flatulence.
Peter Milobar has experience locally as a former Mayor and Ward Stamer has been in the business of harvest, transportation and structures in the logging industry. He also has some smarts as a businessman. I could see Ward working very well with a Mayor who has operated a business and knows how to get things done. Leave matters of flatulence with those who are concerned about such things.
Reluctance may lie with the unknown and dealing with statement about vaccinations etc. Being that health care is under Provincial jurisdiction, going forward with policies about vaccinations must be over and above anyone’s particular personal view.
It’s too bad the microphones and loudspeakers didn’t work. That’s a simple matter but one that should have been sorted out before trying to use them.
LikeLike