It was a tight squeeze on the stage during a Surrey All-Candidates Dialogue on Wednesday, Oct. 2.
Ahead of the B.C. election this month, 19 of the 37 candidates in Surrey's 10 ridings showed up to have their voices heard at the Surrey Board of Trade-hosted meeting, at Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel.
The event was moderated by Jasroop Gosal, SBOT's interim spokesperson and policy/research manager.
Candidates who attended were Amna Shah, Pat McCutcheon, Mike Starchuk, Elenore Sturko, Manjeet Sahota, Garry Begg, Tim Binnema, Japreet Lehal, Jessie Sunner, Jinny Sims, Haroon Ghaffar, Brent Chapman, Rachna Singh, Trevor Halford, Baltej Dhillon, Linda Hepner, Jagrup Brar, Avtar Gill and Sim Sandhu.
On SBOT's Youtube channel, you can watch a 147-minute video of the event.
The Oct. 19 election matters to Surrey "because of our diversified industry base, human capital and international access points by land, water and air," the board of trade notes. The forum aimed to bring together candidates from all major parties to discuss their platforms, answer pressing questions and engage directly with the community.
Next up, a B.C. Election Leadership Dialogue will be hosted by Surrey Board of Trade on Thursday, Oct. 10 at the Sheraton hotel starting at 5:30 p.m.
Elsewhere, voters in Surrey, White Rock and Delta can hear candidates at these meetings:
SURREY AND WHITE ROCK:
• Friday, Oct. 4: Peninsula Homeless to Housing Task Force (PH2H) is hosting an all-candidates forum at Semiahmoo Library at 10 a.m. with a focus on affordable housing. Candidates from the major parties vying for spots in South Surrey and White Rock have been invited to answer questions, with the public able to submit questions by email to ph2htaskforce@gmail.com by the morning of Oct. 4.
• Tuesday, Oct. 8: Brella, CARP, Semiahmoo Seniors Planning Table and Crescent Housing Society join forces to host an all-candidates meeting focusing on seniors' issues, for candidates in the Surrey South and Surrey-White Rock ridings. It's set for Crescent Housing Society (12850 26 Ave.) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Confirm attendance by calling 604-531-9400, ext. 207.
• Wednesday, Oct. 9: UNITI hosts an all-candidates mixer from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at 15306 24 Ave., Surrey. Free, no RSVP required. Hear from candidates on issues relating to housing, health care, affordability, jobs and public safety. Self-advocates will also present on issues important to them.
CLOVERDALE:
• Monday, Oct. 7: The Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce will host an all-candidates meeting at The Clova Theatre (5732 176th St.) on Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m. That meeting with feature candidates from the ridings of Surrey South, Surrey-Cloverdale, and Surrey-Serpentine River. (Surrey-Serpentine River is a new riding carved from parts of Surrey-Cloverdale, Surrey-Panorama and Surrey-Fleetwood.)
DELTA:
• Wednesday, Oct. 9: Delta Chamber of Commerce hosts a Delta South All-Candidates Meeting from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Genesis Theatre (Delta Secondary School), 5005 45th Ave., presented by Greater Vancouver Realtors. The evening's discussions will have a business perspective, focusing on key topics such as transportation, housing, employment, growth, and investment. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Questions may be submitted in advance to jennyfer.cassar@deltachamber.ca, and attendees may also submit written questions from the floor during the event. Admission to this event is free. Register to attend at serve your spot at business.deltachamber.ca/event/Details/2024-delta-south-all-candidates-meeting-1204415.
• Thursday, Oct. 10: Delta Chamber of Commerce hosts a Delta North All-Candidates Meeting from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Seaquam Secondary School, 11584 Lyon Rd., presented by the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB). The evening's discussions will have a business perspective, focusing on key topics such as transportation, housing, employment, growth, and investment. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Questions may be submitted in advance to jennyfer.cassar@deltachamber.ca, and attendees may also submit written questions from the floor during the event. Admission to this event is free. Register to attend at serve your spot at business.deltachamber.ca/event/Details/2024-delta-north-all-candidates-meeting-1204429.