Candidates civil and in agreement at Nanaimo byelection debate
NANAIMO — Though the situation one of them may be entering has been contentious, all the candidates attending Nanaimo’s second byelection debate were civil and courteous, often even thanking their peers at the table.
Eleven candidates talked for more than an hour to roughly 300 people at the Beban Park Social Centre Tuesday night, in the event hosted by the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce. Two couldn’t attend – Kelly Whiteside due to a scheduling conflict and Neil Saunders, who Chamber CEO Kim Smythe described as “missing in action.”
During the nine questions posed to the candidates, often they were all in agreement about how they planned to help Nanaimo as a councillor.
When asked for two ways he would stay connected and in touch with the broader Nanaimo community, Kevin Cantelon said he was glad he was answering shortly after fellow candidate Sacia Burton since he and many others would be in agreement. Burton had advocated for constant communication over social media through Facebook forums and always being available to talk.