Seniors issues are front and centre as the local seniors advocacy group is hosting an all-candidates meeting for the Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke riding.
Frances Litman of the Green Party, Randall Garrison of the NDP and David Merner of the Liberal Party will attend the Oct. 3 forum sponsored by the Greater Victoria Seniors Old Age Pension Organization (Branch 191) and the Victoria Council of Canadians.
“There are a lot of issues for seniors, especially with regards to cutbacks for services,” said Carol Pickup, who acts on behalf of seniors in the Seniors Entitlement Service out of the Quadra Village Community Centre. “It was always the intention to include eye glasses, teeth and hearing aids, but we see a lot of [Greater Victoria] seniors who don’t have those.”
The former CRD director and Saanich councillor from 1987 to 2005 will be on hand while first-term Saanich Coun. Colin Plant will moderate. Forum questions will be built around the main topic: “If you and your party are elected on Oct. 19, what will you do to restore and enhance our Canadian public health system?.”
The Greater Victoria Seniors’ all-candidates meeting is set for Saturday, Oct. 3 from 1 to 3 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Church Parish Hall, 785 Burnside Rd. West (corner of McKenzie Ave. and Burnside).
More meetings taking place
Bob McDonald, the CBC host of Quirks & Quarks, will moderate a Science and Technology Candidates’ Debate at the University of Victoria.
Confirmed are Victoria riding candidates Jo-Ann Roberts (Green Party) and Murray Rankin (NDP), and Saanich-Gulf Islands candidate Tim Kane (Liberal Party). No Conservative party candidates confirmed. The debate is tonight (Sept. 23) from 7 to 9 p.m. in room B150, Bob Wright Centre.
Three of Saanich’s community associations, Cordova Bay, Blenkinsop Valley and Broadmead Area, are joining to host a Saanich-Gulf Islands all-candidates forum on Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Lochside elementary school, 1145 Royal Oak Dr.
Confirmed are Robert Boyd (Conservative), Alicia Cormier (NDP), Tim Kane (Liberal) and Elizabeth May (Green).
The University of Victoria Student Society is holding a combined all-candidates debate on Oct. 7 that features 12 of the 16 ridings in the South Island. Green, Liberal and NDP candidates from the South Island ridings of Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke, Cowichan-Malahat-Langford, Saanich-Gulf Islands and Victoria have confirmed they will attend. The Wednesday, Oct. 7 UVSS all-candidates meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. in the Student Union Building’s Vertigo Room.