We aren’t going to lie, we were a little nervous about how it would go. After all, this hasn’t been done before.
For the first time, Pontiac residents will elect their warden on Nov. 5 and THE EQUITY hosted an English-language debate featuring all five candidates.
The turnout was impressive. More than 100 people filled the auditorium at Pontiac High School and settled in for a night of municipal politics – a reassuring sign that there is a healthy interest in municipal politics.
This comes at a crucial time. During the last municipal election in the Pontiac, nearly 60 per cent of the seats were won by acclamation – meaning there was only one candidate.
While the number of candidates improved this time around, they could still be higher. But we’re doing better than many other municipalities in Quebec.
This year, there will be 214 municipalities in the province that will not have an election.
In 2013, just over 47 per cent of Quebec’s mayors and 56 per cent of its councilors were acclaimed into office.
Hardly anyone is interested in running – let alone showing up for a debate.
Combine this with the fact that many municipalities in the Pontiac lagged below 50 per cent when it came to voter turnout – and across the province – during the last round of elections, and the turnout for the debate was a worry.
Which is why it’s reassuring to see more than 100 people file into a high school auditorium on a Thursday night for a municipal politics debate.
Not only did those folks come out to the debate, but they donated more than $300 to the high school’s auditorium project.
It also just goes to show how much people care about their community. They care who will be at the top and what their priorities are. They also care enough to shell out a healthy sum for the local school.
The candidates did their part and gave the audience differing perspectives on a range of issues to help them make their choices.
As the moderator, I especially appreciated the candidates keeping the event cordial and respecting the time restrictions so that everyone could get home at a reasonable hour.
Well done Pontiac, and thank you. Hopefully this enthusiasm can spread and we’ll see the effects on Election Day.
Chris Lowrey
