On Nov. 5, four fellow Quest students and I volunteered at an All-Candidates Forum for the upcoming municipal election. At the forum, organized by Sea to Sky Community Services and the Squamish Chamber of Commerce, Squamoleans heard from candidates for school board, mayor and city council. Howe Sound Secondary was packed.
Following the debate, I was certainly more knowledgeable about municipal politics. Some of my fellow volunteers agreed, saying they were subsequently more likely to vote.
Seeing the candidates in person gave me a better sense of them, but I did not judge them solely on the content of their arguments. Charisma and confidence also played a role. Any candidate who overused fillers such as “uh” and “um” or paused too much lost credibility in my eyes. This was also true for candidates who were not dressed smartly, and at one point, I noted whether or not candidates were wearing poppies (the majority were). Moral of the story: Appearances do matter.
Of course, what the candidates said regarding issues was also important. Themes included housing, youth in Squamish and industry. Surprisingly, the proposed LNG plant, considered a hot-button issue, barely came up. One of the more entertaining questions was about funding cuts to the SPCA, as candidates noted if you want a dog you should be informed, able to care for it and take it on walks.
Overall, I found myself trusting incumbents more than other candidates. That is not to say I discounted the others, but some of those candidates run time and again for office in Squamish. They are characters, in the best possible sense of the word. They possess a uniquely endearing frankness because they do not have a real chance of getting elected. They make people laugh and applaud. They even get some votes but they never get elected – and that is democracy.
Democracy is also picking the fittest people for the job. That might mean reelecting the same people who have served Squamish for the past three years or it might mean getting some new blood. It’s your choice.
Sophia Matthew
Squamish
