Two public events in early October will assist the Madawaska Valley electorate in finalizing their voting choices for the municipal election on October 22. Organizers confirm that all candidates have been invited to both events.
Meet and Greet on October 4 at 7:30 p.m.
The first event is at the Opeongo Seniors’ Centre, 19 Stafford Street, Barry’s Bay and is co-sponsored by the Opeongo Seniors’ Centre and The Madawaska Valley Current. The Opeongo Seniors told The Current last week that they had confirmation of attendance from all but one candidate. This will be a good opportunity for voters to hear what the candidates have to say as they “work the room.” Everyone is welcome and refreshments will be available.
All Candidates Meeting on October 11 at 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Karen FIlipkowski, CEO of the Madawaska Valley Public Library, has announced that the Library and the Royal Canadian Legion Barry’s Bay Branch 406 are co-sponsoring this event at the Legion, 250 John Street, Barry’s Bay. Voters can witness how the candidates present their platforms in a more formal setting as the evening will follow a structured format including:
- Introduction of each candidate
- 2-minute statement from each
- Questions from moderator and floor to mayoral candidates
- Questions from moderator and floor to councillor candidates
James di Fiore will moderate the event. Di Fiore currently works part-time at the Madawaska Valley Public Library and is no stranger to politics. He is a freelance journalist focusing on politics and media, including for the Huffington Post and the Post Millennial. He is also a radio host at chcr.org in Killaloe and occasionally contributes articles to The Current. His career also included a run for mayor of Toronto when he participated in such debates.