While snow blanketed the city Wednesday night, those with their names on the municipal ballot made one last push to connect with voters.
Candidates for city council and school board trustee gathered in Zoe's Java House for an informal meet and greet with a handful of interested voters and coffee house patrons.
The event was facilitated and hosted by council candidate and Zoe's owner Brad Gagnon.
"There's not a lot of ongoing communication between the school board and council," said Gagnon about the joint event. "There's other opportunities for them to work together and getting those relationships established even before the election is good."
The voters who made the trek out to the 4th Avenue business used the opportunity of an informal setting to ask any last-minute questions.
Marilyn Juds, founder and research co-ordinator of the P.G. Safe Water Coalition, was checking to see where the candidates stood on the issue of water fluoridation.
"We've never had a referendum on the issue," said Juds, who has been working to get fluoride removed from the city's water.
"I hope this time there'll be people who are opposed to it and that we'll have a different council who will be amenable to getting rid of it."
Dennis Fudge said he had missed the previous formal all-candidates' meetings and was taking the chance to find out what the school board candidates had to say.
"I'm looking for the ability to think outside the box," Fudge said, "and not just following what the schools and teacher's
associations have been saying."
The mood among the candidates was one of nervous excitement as the days inch closer to Saturday's final polling.
For school board trustee candidate Tim Bennett, the process has been worthwhile.
"It's my first campaign and it's been a great learning experience," he said. "I'm looking forward to Saturday night and
seeing how everything pans out."
Incumbent councillor Cameron Stolz said he was nervous about the final result.
"In looking at where we're at right now, there are a lot of strong challengers," Stolz said. "I can list five or six really strong candidates and that percentage has the
opportunity to change the entire council."
Stolz said one of the biggest failings he has come to realize in talking to voters is a lack of communication over the past term.
"We've failed to explain what we've been doing and why," he said, noting community engagement is something he would be working on if re-elected, even though it wasn't a part of his platform.
Council candidate Myrt Turner said she was unsure what her chances were at becoming elected, but that she has enjoyed the campaigning process.
"I've gained a whole other perspective of what goes on in this municipality. It's been a real educational opportunity for me."
Kate Cooke said she was interested in who she'd be working with if elected to the school board. "I'm interested to see how the dynamics will start to work together," she said.
In the campaign process, voters have been raising concerns about a repeat of the school closures in 2010, said candidate Sharon Bourassa. "A lot of people are concerned it could happen again," she said.
Gagnon said he didn't feel too optimistic about his chances of being elected to council based on his campaign spending of less than $1,000, but that it was "almost a
given" he will run in a subsequent election.
"I've met some really good contacts in terms of getting things done whether I'm elected or not," he said.
Jordan Gadsby, who has been running for council with the help of his wife, said he has enjoyed the campaign, but will be happy when it's over. "Either way, it's been a worthwhile experience," he said.
Mayoral candidate Brandon Lewis has been feeling the pressure of being an underdog candidate going up against two incumbent politicians. Being heard and noticed amongst perceived frontrunners Dan Rogers and Shari Green has been a challenge, he said.
"It makes it tough to make that push. You want to make a difference, but it's tough to make a difference when you're being fought against," he said, noting people have had a positive response to his ideas, but still indicate their plans to vote for what they see as the "lesser of two evils."
But Lewis said he's still working to put himself out there and encouraged anyone with questions to get in touch with the candidates before heading to the polls.
