Photo: Green Party

Green Party candidate Keli Westgate confirms participation in Lumby forum.

Business and other groups in the Vernon Monashee riding are scrambling to line up all-candidates forums ahead of the May 9 provincial election but it hasn't been easy.

“We haven't heard back from all of the candidates. It's really weird,” said Stephanie Sexmith, manager of the Lumby Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber has tentatively scheduled an Apr. 19 all-candidates event at the community centre but only Green Party candidate Keli Westgate had confirmed, Sexsmith said on Tuesday morning.

“It's late. It's really late. We started working on this in February (contacting political parties). A number of candidates haven't gotten in touch with us.”

An all-candidates forum has also been tentatively set for the Vernon Performing Arts Centre (VPAC) on May 3rd but the organizer is also running into the same problem.

“We have yet to get confirmation from some of the candidates,” said Keelan Murtagh, executive director of the arts centre.

Murtagh said a moderator had been chosen for May 3rd, the only date available at the centre before the election.

The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce has not yet set up a forum.

“We are trying to coordinate it,” said Dan Rogers, the chamber's general manager. “We have not yet confirmed.”

Rogers said the chamber would prefer to “merge” with the event at the VPAC and put forward a set list of questions from the business perspective.

Meanwhile on the Elections BC website, only two people were listed as standing nominees as of Mar. 28, despite five declared in the region.

The two on the list were sitting Liberal MLA Eric Bailey Foster and Green Party candidate Keli Westgate.