COBDEN — The final all candidates meeting for Whitewater Region Township is Monday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cobden Ag Hall.
The event is being organized by WhitewaterNews.ca editor Connie Tabbert, businessmen Ron Laronde, Ted Barron and Dave Stewart. It was agreed to change the time from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to allow farmers time to get in from the barn, clean up, eat and get to the meeting, as well as those who work out of town to get home, eat supper and get to the meeting.
It was agreed the four mayoral candidates will each have three minutes to address the audience while all other candidates who attend will speak for two minutes.
To ensure each of the candidates have opportunity to answer a question, there will be a brown paper bag for each candidate on a table at the back of the ag hall. Those attending the meeting are encouraged to write a question on a piece of paper and drop it into the bag of the candidate they would like to hear from. They can drop one in as many bags as they want, however, at 7:30 p.m., no more questions will be allowed into the bags.
Moderators Dave Stewart and Ted Barron will review the questions prior to asking to ensure no libellous or slanderous questions are asked.
After each candidate has answered a question, it will be opportunity to take a few questions for the floor.
When people decide to vote, they have the opportunity to choose one mayor, one reeve, five councillors and a school board trustee.
The mayoral candidates are: Incumbent mayor Jim Labow, Councillor Joey Trimm, business owner Doug Shields and former Whitewater Region Township public works supervisor Hal Johnson.
The reeve candidates are incumbent Don Rathwell and business owner Terry Millar.
There are 11 candiates vying for the five council positions: incumbent councillors Allen Dick, Daryl McLaughlin, Cathy Regier and others Donald E. Broome, Donna Burns, John Felix Cull, Charlene Jackson, Joe Kowalski, Dave Mackay, Chris Olmstead and Howard Winters.
The two candidates for the trustee position on the Renfrew County District School Board are incumbent trustee Dave Shields and James Dobson.
The two candidates for the Conseil des ecoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario are incumbent Colette Stitt and Andre Yonkeu.
Anne (Smith) Haley was acclaimed as trustee for the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board while Robert Lemelin was acclaimed for the Conseil des ecoles catholiques du Centre-Est.
