Columbia-Kootenay-Southern Rockies advance polling stations open for four-day stint

Photo: File

Nelson advance polls run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the local Elections Canada office at 602 Baker St.

Sharpen your voting pencil and political acumen, the advance polling stations open tomorrow in Nelson for a four-day set in the Columbia-Kootenay-Southern Rockies electoral district.

The polls run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the local Elections Canada office at 602 Baker St. in Nelson.

There are six candidates vying for votes, including Rob Morrison (Conservatives), Jim Wiedrick (independent), Kallee Lins (NDP) and Reggie Goldsbury (Liberals) are confirmed. Also running are Steven Maffioli of the Green Party and Laurie Baird of the People's Party of Canada.

If you miss the advance voting days, the general voting day is set for April 28.

Looking ahead

Voters in the western corner of the Columbia-Kootenay-Southern Rockies electoral district have two opportunities to meet the candidates.

It is a quick one-two, back-to-back combination with Nelson on April 23 and Trail on April 24, but both in non-forum like settings. The Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce will be staging a candidate meet-and-greet at the Adventure Hotel banquet room on Wednesday, April 23 between 5-7 p.m.

“We will set this up as a hybrid Business-after-Business event between 5-6 p.m. with general mingling and ‘buttonholing’ of candidates in a social setting,” said chamber executive director Tom Thomson.

Beginning at 6 p.m., there will be a podium and microphone set up which will allow all the candidates a three-minute introduction to themselves, their policies and reasons for running.

“We will also have a series of questions developed on federal policy and each candidate will be asked to draw a question from the question vault and have two minutes to speak on the topic,” said Thomson.

The Trail and District Chamber of Commerce will also combine the candidate meet-and-greet with its Business-after-Business event, moving up to the Prestige in Rossland on April 24.

“All candidates are invited to attend, but there will be no speaking opportunities for the candidates — just a chance to mingle,” said chamber executive director Erika Krest.