An all-candidates meeting set for Tuesday night in the hotly contested riding of North Island-Powell River was abruptly cancelled hours before the event over what organizers called “safety concerns.”
The Campbell River Chamber of Commerce cited protests and counter-protests planned near the town’s Tidemark Theatre that “raised concerns about our ability to ensure a secure environment for everyone involved.”
The chamber’s statement was posted on Facebook by Conservative candidate Aaron Gunn.
The chamber said its primary concern was the safety and well-being of all attendees, including candidates, staff and volunteers. It said “recent community tensions” and the planned protests near the theatre forced it to pull the plug.
Six candidates are vying for the North Island-Powell River seat, including Gunn, who is leading in the polls heading into Monday’s vote. Gunn has been criticized by First Nations over past social-media comments saying what happened at residential schools should not be called genocide.
Gunn, who has since retracted those posts and views, has strong support in the area, including an endorsement from Campbell River’s mayor.
Like many of his fellow Conservative candidates, Gunn has not attended all-candidates meetings this election campaign.
In a social-media post, Gunn said: “This won’t slow us down … Tonight we are hitting the doors in Campbell River to connect directly with as many folks as possible.”
Green Party Candidate Jessica Wegg posted a photo of herself, Independent candidate Glen Staples, the NDP’s Tanille Johnston and Liberal Jennifer Lash on social media on Tuesday afternoon, just after the all-candidates forum was cancelled.
“We tried Campbell River,” said Wegg. “We were so sorry and disappointed that you didn’t get an All Candidates Meeting. We showed up anyway and answered questions outside the Tidemark Theatre for about an hour and a half.”
This month, there were protests at Gunn’s campaign office in Campbell River, while at the same time, a pro-Gunn rally took place in Comox.
Johnston said she was “profoundly disappointed” by the cancellation of the all-candidates meeting.
She said Gunn cancelled his attendance at all-candidates meetings on April 6 and 7.
Tuesday’s all-candidates meeting in Campbell River had already been rescheduled from April 12.
“This means that Mr. Gunn has not attended a single candidates forum during this election,” said Johnston. “He’s allowed himself to be muzzled by his own party, and I worry that means he would make a very weak representative for the people of North Island-Powell River.”
Aggregate pollster 338 Canada considers the riding a “safe” spot for the Conservatives to win, with an estimated 52% of the vote. The NDP is at 25%, Liberals at 16% and Greens 3%, according to the most recent data.
