There’s just three weeks to go until election day, and one Sackville woman is helping make sure voters are informed about their choices on April 28.
Carol Cooke is the lead organizer behind a public all-candidates forum to be held on April 15, from 7 to 9pm, at the Church by the Lake in Middle Sackville.
“I believe that something really special happens when citizens get together in a public space, in the public square, live and in person,” says Cooke.
The Sackville resident started organizing candidates forums on a volunteer basis in 2022, after hearing from then mayoral candidate Andrew Black about the need for one during Tantramar’s first-ever municipal election. Since then, Cooke has spearheaded forums in three different elections, with help from a volunteer advisory committee including representatives from Warktimes, CFTA and CHMA.
“I’m convinced that when we when we get off our social media and actually meet and greet each other, our fellow citizens, I think we all realize that we have so much more in common than we do in terms of what divides us,” says Cooke.
Cooke says she also believes that the ability to vote freely in elections is a “very precious right”, and “not something to be taken lightly.”
“I just want to help aid in this process of helping residents, Canadian citizens, our neighbours, get to know their candidates more and to make an informed vote,” says Cooke.
Six candidates in Beauséjour
So far there are six candidates nominated in the Beauséjour riding, which runs from Cape Tormentine to Saint Louis de Kent, and includes Tantramar, Strait Shores, Cap Acadie, Memramcook, Shediac, and parts of Dieppe.
Longtime Beauséjour MP and federal minister Dominic LeBlanc is running again for the Liberal Party. LeBlanc has held the Beausejour seat for 25 years and got nearly 56% of the votes in the riding in 2021.
The Conservative Party candidate for Beauséjour is Moncton business owner Nathalie Vautour, who lives in Dieppe.
Housing rights activist Alex Gagne is running for the NDP.
Josh Shaddick is running for the Green Party of Canada, after having run as a provincial Green candidate in 2024.
Former provincial and Strait Shores municipal candidate Donna Allen will be on the ballot for the Libertarian Party.
The People’s Party of Canada has nominated Eddie Cornell from Shediac Cape, a decorated veteran who was involved in the convoy movement.
Cooke says she’s had confirmation so far from LeBlanc (Liberal), Allen (Libertarian), and Cornell (People’s Party), and that Gagne (NDP) has agreed to participate if his work schedule allows. She’s still waiting to hear back from the Conservatives and Greens regarding participation of Vautour and Shaddick.
Effort to include francophone voters
Cooke also says this federal candidates forum will aim to serve a wider audience than usual. After learning there were no plans for a candidates’ forum in Memramcook, Cooke resolved to make the April 15 forum “as welcoming, as bilingual as possible.”
“My French is a little better than that of our prime minister,” jokes Cooke. “We’re going to do our very best, and just hope it’s going to be a good event for everybody and a chance for many, many communities to come together.”
Cooke is inviting those who can’t make it on April 15 to email their candidate questions for consideration: the email address is forumquestions4@gmail.com.
Voter information cards due in mailboxes by Friday
Elections Canada says registered voters should be receiving their voter information cards in the mail by Friday, April 11, and anyone who doesn’t can update their information online or at an Elections Canada office.
Voter information cards make it easier to vote but electors can also choose to register when they go to vote.
The Election Day polling station for Tantramar will be at the Middle Sackville Baptist Church on April 28.
Advanced polling will happen over the Easter weekend at the Tantramar Veterans Memorial Civic Centre from April 18 to 21.
