Transition Kamloops and the BC Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS-BC) are hosting an All-Candidates Forum on the Environment at 6 pm on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at the Alumni Clock Tower Theatre at Thompson Rivers University. Candidates will have a chance to share ideas and plans with the audience on key environmental issues in our province.
The forum is non-partisan and all registered candidates have confirmed their attendance: Kamal Grewal (NDP), Peter Milobar (Conservative), and Randy Sunderman (Green), running in Kamloops Centre, and Tristan Cavers (Green), Maddi Genn (NDP), and Ward Stamer (Conservative), running in Kamloops-North Thompson.
The evening will be split into two parts—one for each of the two Kamloops ridings. See the agenda, below. (Not sure which riding you are in? Elections BC has a Find Your District tool for that!)
The forum will be moderated by CBC Kamloops’ Doug Herbert.
The organizers are encouraging people to submit in advance their suggestions for questions related to climate change, energy, transportation, forestry practices, biodiversity conservation, parks, wildfires or any other environmental issue. Questions will not be accepted from the floor.
Youth from the CPAWS-BC Young Leaders in Conservation Program will be developing and asking specific questions to candidates. “It’s critical that youth voices are heard in these conversations about environmental and climate policy,” says Eden Luymes, Youth Engagement Coordinator at CPAWS-BC. “It’s our futures that are at stake―in this election and every election.”
The evening begins with a reception at the TRU Alumni Clock Tower Theatre at 6 pm, where attendees can meet and chat with candidates while enjoying complimentary snacks and drinks before the forum begins.
Attendees are encouraged to reserve a seat via Eventbrite, as only a limited number of seats will be held for walk-ins. Please note that no questions will be taken from the audience once the forum has begun, but there will be an opportunity to speak with the candidates prior to the start of the forum. Submit your questions in advance.
“Transition Kamloops is pleased to partner with CPAWS-BC on this event,” says Gisela Ruckert, an organizer with Transition Kamloops. “It’s crucial for our community to have access to candidates who may represent them following the provincial election on October 19. At this forum, participants will learn directly where they stand on environmental policies and practices in our province, and what actions candidates might prioritize.”
For anyone who is unable to attend in person, the event will be recorded and will be available for viewing on the Transition Kamloops website.
About the organizers:
Transition Kamloops is a grassroots organization dedicated to building community resilience and sustainability. Through education, collaboration, and action, we work towards creating a healthier, more resilient future for Kamloops and beyond.
CPAWS-BC is part of one of Canada’s oldest non-profit conservation groups. We protect wilderness in every corner of BC and deep into the ocean. We work with Indigenous, provincial and federal governments with the goal of creating large protected and interconnected areas: places that can nurse nature through climate change and shelter plants and animals forever.