With five candidates and no incumbent - long-serving councillor Bob Harvey hung up his hat this year - the race for municipal councillor in Lower Sackville, has become one to watch in HRM.
More than 100 people crammed Acadia Hall on Oct. 15 to hear the candidates talk about how they can fix sidewalks, improve busing routes and make Lower Sackville a force to be reckoned with at HRM council.
Although each has been heavily involved in the community, a couple of the candidates are more recognizable than others leaving some voters in Lower Sackville not even sure who it is they are voting for or against.
A phone call to The Weekly News from one undecided voter, led to a last minute debate between candidates Steve Craig, Janet Langille, Stephen Taylor, Curt Wentzell and Ian Wilson.
The debate was moderated by Weekly News reporters Yvette d'Entremont and Colin Chisholm.
"My friends were talking about the issues and they kept asking me who I was voting for," said 29-year-old Marcel Parsons, who organized Monday's debate. "I knew there were five candidates, no incumbent and no one with any kind of history so I really wanted to find out who they were."
Each candidate held their own when asked to address the five questions sent in by residents from the community. The issues included transit, flooding, local business and youth crime. Although they all agreed on the seriousness of the issues, each candidate gave their own unique opinions and ideas on rectifying them.
District 15 candidates, Ian Wilson (from left), Stephen Taylor, Janet Langille, Steve Craig and Curt Wentzell gather around debate organizer Marcel Parsons (front) after a candidates debate in Lower Sackville's Acadia Hall." />
Sackville resident Brenda Hoddinott said that although she had already voted she wanted to come out to see what the other candidates had to say.
"I was so happy to be here," she said. "Everyone did a great job, no one misbehaved and I learned a lot."
The candidates were also upbeat. They were happy with the turnout and happy with how they presented themselves and their ideas.
"I think we were all terrific," said Craig. "If we could take all five of us and make one councillor we'd have it covered."
In the end, Parsons was still not sure who he was going to vote for.
"I honestly don't know," he said. "This debate has made it harder."
blhall@eastlink.ca
