No sooner will nominations for town council close than the candidates for mayor will be participating in the first official debate of the municipal election.

A two-hour session on Monday Sept. 18 will give plenty of opportunity for people to get to know where the candidates stand on key issues, thanks to the Cochrane and District Chamber of Commerce. It's being held upstairs in the SLS Family Sport Centre multipurpose room from 7 to 9 p.m.

The forum is open to all to attend, says chamber president Bill Popplewell, and details are now being finalized. Likely it will include an open statement from candidates, a series of pointed questions on key issues, a question and answer period and closing statement from all candidates. Stephen Simms is moderator.

Currently in the running are incumbent Ivan Brooker, Tom Hardy and Jeff Genung. At 12 noon on Sept. 18 the unofficial list of candidiates will be known and a day later it becomes official.

The chamber sponsored a similar forum for the 2013 civic election.

SOTB Forum - Oct. 3

The Seniors on the Bow (SOTB) forum on Oct. 3 will not only focus on town council candidates. Rocky View County candidates from division 2, 8, 9 and local candidates for Rocky View Schools.will also be invited to participate in a meet and greet from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

The mayor and councillors forum runs from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. and format details are being finalized,

SOTB is located on the second floor of the SLS Family Sport Centre.

East End Candidiates Forum Oct. 6

The Cochrane Settlement Community of Cochrane in the east end is continuing their tradition of holding a candidates forum on Oct. 6 in the Frank Wills Memorial Hall.

From 6:45 to 7:15 p.m., trustee candidates for the Rocky View School Division will have the floor. Town council candidates follow in what is anticipated to be a two-hour session.

Each candidate will have a few minutes to introduce themselves and their platform. There will be some questions prepared in advance for the candidiates and a major emphasis will be placed on questions from the audience, says long-time East Ender Andy Marshall. Candidates also all have the opportunity to give a closing statement.

Emcee is Igor Visser, president of the community association.

All interested residents are invited to attend.

Cochrane Eagle Forum - Sept. 26

The Cochrane Eagle forum at the Cochrane Lions Event Centre, Sept. 26, is strictly for candidates for mayor and town council. It starts with a meet and greet at 5:30 p.m. and is followed by candidates answering a series of prescribed questions. Written submissions will then be welcomed from the floor to wrap up the forum. An intermission is planned.