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Election Notes

All candidates with signs meet bylaws

Candidates can put up as many election signs as they want during the municipal election.

Because of the federal government’s freedom of expression laws, the only thing the municipality can regulate is where they go, their size, and their content, explained election officer Shannon Story this week.

“According to the law, you can restrict the size of the sign, but that is basically it,” explained Story.

“There is no way we could ever legally ban signs, it is just something that goes with your personal freedom, you are allowed to express yourself that way.”

Limiting election signs was part of the current council’s first debate after the election in 2005. The debate was sparked after Councillor Ralph Forsyth asked staff to look at options that would ban or reduce the number of signs used during a municipal election.

Story said all candidates with signs have conformed to the municipality’s sign bylaw, and candidates who have received permits include Kristi Wells, Ken Melamed, Jag Bhandari, Ralph Forsyth, Jack Crompton, Bob Lorriman, Dave Sharpe, Bill Overing and Ted Milner.

Signs on the highway, however, are out of the municipality’s jurisdiction, explained Story.

“They (the provincial government) have their own rules and how they want it done,” she explained, adding that those signs can’t obstruct a traffic control device or be put in a place that causes a traffic hazard.

The provincial government stipulates that all election signs must be removed 24 hours after the election. The municipality gives candidates seven days to take them down.

 

AWARE candidate meeting scheduled

Whistler’s environmental group has scheduled its own all candidates meeting to tackle sustainability and ecological issues.

In a press release, members of the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE) said that they anticipate discussions will touch on “contentious” projects like the Nesters Westland, Rainbow and Celebration Plaza developments, as well as the long-term impact of the Olympics, the continued straining of Whistler’s natural environment and future support for Whistler businesses to reduce the environmental impact.

The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the Westin Resort and Spa from 6 to 8 p.m. The meeting will be followed by a Green Drinks event, to allow attendees to further discuss environmental issues in an informal atmosphere. Event organizer Claire Ruddy can be contacted for more information at 604-966-7806 or c_ruddy@yahoo.com .

The Whistler Chamber of Commerce also has an All Candidates meeting scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 1, at Whistler Secondary School from 3 to 5:30 p.m. School Trustee candidates will be featured first, followed by the mayoral candidates and then the councillor candidates.

An Arts, Culture and Heritage All Candidates meeting was also held this week at MY Millennium Place (see related story).

 

VoteWhistler.com airs video interviews

If you cannot make it to any of the All Candidate meetings, there is another way to get to know the candidates. VoteWhistler.com site host Caroline Smalley announced on Tuesday, Oct. 28, that the site has partnered up with Resort TV to create short video interviews of each mayor and council candidate.

Smalley said all but two candidates have agreed to make the videos, which should be available shortly on the citizen advocacy website.

Two videos are already posted on the site. Incumbent Mayor Ken Melamed has a video on sustainability titled “How to boil a frog”, and Jag Bhandari has a video explaining why is running for mayor.