Tuesday's all-candidates meeting in Sechelt ran without a hitch. The seated crowd at Raven's Cry Theatre watched fairly quietly as the candidates stuck to talking about the issues and stayed away from personal attacks.
Liberal candidate Maureen Clayton emphasized the need for a healthy economy to support public services.
New Democratic Party candidate Nicholas Simons said he would bring community members together to repair the Liberals' destructive path over the last four years.
Green candidate Adriane Carr said she would lead the province on a sustainable path because a healthy environment leads to a healthy economy.
All three candidates brought their personal experiences to the table -Carr's work on the Downtown East Side, Simons' work as director of health services for the Sechelt Nation and Clayton's small business ownership on the Coast.
The near-capacity audience presented their questions in writing instead of vocal participation, which kept the meeting running smoothly.
Issues addressed included the economy, small business, tourism, healthcare, transportation, property crime, job skills training, affordable housing, the community forest, education, care for seniors and raw log exports.
Carr said clean air, water and food are needed to ensure public health.
"The toxins are making us ill," said Carr, to which the audience applauded.
Clayton cited money the provincial Liberals have put into various programs across the province. But she said she would work on the front lines of government for more money to help the local community work through problems.
"Statistics and numbers don't mean a darn thing unless you get funding on the Coast," said Clayton.
Speaking on homelessness, poverty and affordable housing, Simons said problems will get exponentially worse unless changes are made.
"Putting band-aids on a very big problem is not going to get us any further ahead," said Simons.
The Sechelt Chamber of Commerce and Community Futures Development Corporation sponsored the meeting.
