With a federal election campaign now in full swing, Surrey and White Rock voters will have a chance to hear from some local candidates during an April 15 event in Guildford.
Canadians go to the polls in just five weeks, on Monday, April 28, with advance voting from April 18-21 and mail-in options.
This time around, there are six federal ridings (electoral districts) in the Surrey/White Rock area including Surrey City Centre, Surrey Newton, Fleetwood-Port Kells, Cloverdale-Langley City, South Surrey-White Rock and Langley Township-Fraser Heights. Also, the Delta riding includes a small pocket of Surrey homes near Scott Road, south from the corner of 64 Avenue and 126 Street, to Mud Bay.
The nomination process for candidates closes Monday, April 7, and a complete list of confirmed candidates will be announced two days later, on Wednesday, April 9.
In Surrey, an April 15 election event is planned at Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., hosted by Surrey Board of Trade, South Surrey & White Rock Chamber of Commerce and South Asian Business Association of BC.
"This election will redefine Canada’s leadership at a time of global uncertainty and economic shifts," the business organizations say a joint news release Monday (March 24).
Among candidates, the mid-April election event is restricted to those representing the Liberal, Conservative, Green and NDP parties, organizers say.
Candidates who want to attend are asked to email heather@businessinsurrey.com (Heather Booth, SBOT's events and communications manager). Event details are posted on businessinsurrey.com.
As non-partisan business organizations that plan to merge soon, Surrey Board of Trade (SBOT) and South Surrey & White Rock Chamber of Commerce want to "instigate change at the different levels of government with any political or public servant in office," they state.
“This is one of the most consequential elections of our time," said Indra Bhan, interim CEO and COO of Surrey Board of Trade.
"With ongoing threats to our economy and sovereignty by President Trump, and challenges such as affordability, infrastructure, and healthcare access, voters need to hear firsthand how candidates plan to address these concerns. Surrey and White Rock are growing communities with diverse needs, and their concerns need to be heard."
For the nation's 45th general election, Elections Canada says offices will open soon in each of the 343 federal electoral districts (ridings).
Canadian citizens who are at least 18 years old on election day are eligible to vote, if registered. "Most Canadians who are eligible to vote are already registered in the National Register of Electors," says a post on elections.ca. To check if they are registered or to register to vote, electors should use the Online Voter Registration Service on that website, call 1-800-463-6868 or contact their local Elections Canada office.
