Langley candidates meet voters at round table session on Wednesday



One of these three people will serve as B.C.'s next premier. We will likely know which one has won the voters' approval for the job sometime late in the evening on Tuesday, May 9. At top is BC Liberal leader Christy Clark, who has been premier since 2011. In the middle is NDP leader John Horgan. At the bottom is Green Party leader Andrew Weaver.

I was privileged to be asked to moderate an all-candidates' meeting for candidates in the two main Langley ridings, sponsored by Langley Seniors Community Action Table.
It was organized by Marilyn Fischer and other memers of the round table. They did a superb job.
It took place today (April 19) at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Langley City. About 90 seniors, plus two members each of Langley City and Langley Township councils, were on hand.
Eight of the nine candidates in the Langley and Langley East ridings were on hand. Inder Johal, the NDP candidate in Langley East, was sick and unable to attend.
Unlike most such meetings, this was mainly set up as an opportunity for candidates to meet small groups  of voters at round tables. There were eight tables, with candidates for Langley East moving between the tables containing their voters, and Langley candidates moving between the other tables. 
The organizers had prepared some detailed questions on a variety of issues ranging from MSP premiums and seniors' housing to the Kinder Morgan pipeline. These were asked, but there were also plenty of opportunities for dialogue with the candidates on other issues. From what I could gather, they enjoyed having more time with individual voters, and it was an unparalleled opportunity to spend some time and go into detail on issues.
Both The Times and The Advance covered the meeting, and Times reporter Miranda Gathercole did a video as well. Here is a link to it.
Candidates in attendance for Langley East were Rich Coleman, BC Liberal; Alex Joehl, Libertarian; and Bill Masse, Green. As mentioned, NDP candidate Johal was unable to attend. Langley candidates attending were Mary Polak, BC Liberal; Gail Chaddock-Costello, NDP; Elizabeth Walker, Green; Justin Greenwood, BC Conservative and Rob Pobran, Libertarian.
Another meeting sponsored by Langley Teachers' Association and the Canadian Union of Public Employees took place tonight.\
There are two more candidates' meetings next week, sponsored by Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce and Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. Chamber president Scott Johnston will act as moderator.
The meeting for Langley candidates takes place Tuesday, April 25 at Kwantlen Polytechnic University on Glover Road, from 7 to 9 p.m. The meeting for the Langley East candidates takes place on Thursday, April 27 at Langley Events Centre, also from 7 to 9 p.m.
I urge everyone who wants to check out the candidates in person to attend.
In terms of voting, election day is May 9. More and more people prefer to vote ahead of time, and there are plenty of opportunities to do so.
In the Langley riding, advance polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Douglas Recreation Centre in Langley City and George Preston Recreation Centre on 42 Avenue in the Township. They are open on Saturday and Sunday, April 29 and 30 and Wednesday through Saturday, May 3 to 6.
In Langley East, advance voting takes place at W.C. Blair Recreation Centre in Murrayville from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., on April 29, 30 and May 6. Advance voting takes place at Bethel Mennonite Church, 24687 56 Avenue and Walnut Grove Community Centre, Wednesday though Saturday, May 3 to 6. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Advance voting can also be done at the district returning offices in both ridings, Monday through Saturday. The offices are closed on Sundays. The Langley office is at 20381 66 Avenue, and the Langley East office is at 21812 48 Avenue.
It is important to point out, for those who don't know it, that riding boundaries have changed, and some Langley residents are now in Abbotsford ridings. Those east of 264 Street and north of Highway 1 are in the Abbotsford West riding, while those east of 248 Street and south of Highway 1 are in the Abbotsford South riding. This includes all residents of Aldergrove.

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