By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Candidates for town council struck a cordial tone as they gathered to discuss Davidson’s future at an election forum on Oct. 17.

Ten out of 12 candidates were present for the forum, organized by The Davidson Leader and held Monday night at the Sacred Heart parish hall.

The event drew an audience of about 50 people, including three mayors — former mayor Mary Jane Morrison, outgoing mayor Clayton Schneider and mayor-elect Tyler Alexander.

Davidson residents, along with voters in municipalities across the province, will head to the polls on Wednesday. Six council seats are up for grabs.

Leader publisher Tara de Ryk said she was pleased with how the evening went, saying the candidates handled the questions well, especially since most of them have not previously served on council.

“There was good questions and very good responses. It gave us an insight into the candidates,” she said. “It’s not easy when you’re not accustomed to public speaking, to be put on the spot like that.”

De Ryk said she would have liked to see a larger audience in attendance, as the event was meant to help voters “attach faces and ideas to the names on the ballot.”

“I regret that people didn’t consume more coffee,” she added. “I’ll go out there, I’ll admit that. Did I make too much coffee? Yes. I’ll admit that was a problem.”

Elaine Ebenal served capably as moderator, vetting questions and keeping track of time limits.

She stuck to the rules but also noted her positive impression of the candidates, calling for a round of applause and saying, “If we can’t come up with a great council out of this group, I don’t think anybody can.”

For the full story, please see the Oct. 24 edition of The Davidson Leader, or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.