In a little over two weeks local residents will take to the polls to cast their ballots in the upcoming municipal election.

If you're still unsure where your votes should land, you can learn more about the candidates at an Open House being held at the Social Spot on October 5.

Owner of Quirk Social, Kailey Mitchell says that the open house is a good opportunity to meet with the local Town Council and School Board candidates and listen to the key points of their platform. She says that the event will be set up in a casual market-style, giving residents the opportunity to roam from table to table to speak with the candidates and ask questions.

"The same as we would set up our markets everyone will have their own spot and people can come in, walk around and talk to whoever they want," explains Mitchell. "We wanted to set it up this way, kind of a more casual, and more of an opportunity to speak to the people that you might have specific questions for."

There are a total of 19 candidates seeking a seat on council for the upcoming term, and three candidates running for  Public School Board Trustee for Cochrane.  As it stands, just under half of the Town Council candidates have confirmed their attendance, including :

  • Kaitlin Chamberlain
  • Alan Cox
  • Dan Cunin
  • Marni Fedeyko
  • Susan Flowers
  • Erika Lange
  • Tara McFadden
  • Ryan McMillan
  • Todd Muir
  • Samantha Nickerson
  • Paul Singh
  • Patrick Wilson

All three School Board Trustee Candidates will be present. They include:

  • Peter Fortna
  • Fiona Gilbert
  • Simon Ongom

Mitchell says that COVID-19 health and safety protocols will be in place, however, residents don't need to provide proof of vaccination to attend.

"We didn't want that to be a limitation for people to be able to talk to the candidates," explains Mitchell. "So, hand sanitizer, face masks and physical distancing are all in place similar to how our markets are set up and then there's limited capacity." 

The Candidates Open House runs from 6 to 8 p.m. on October 5, 2021.

The event is taking place at the Social Spot located in the old IGA building at 609 1st Street West in Cochrane.