Mayoral candidates from Pickering and Ajax laid out their visions for the local economy at a business-focused candidates forum on the morning of Sept. 23.
The event was hosted by the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade, which brought contenders for the top job in both municipalities together to talk about how city hall shapes the business environment.
What was discussed
According to the Daily Durham, the forum centred on the relationship between municipal government and the local economy.
Topics included economic development and attracting investment, infrastructure and future growth, transportation and mobility, employment and job creation, and support for local businesses and entrepreneurs.
The morning began with registration and breakfast, followed by opening remarks. Candidates from both towns introduced themselves before taking questions in an extended question-and-answer session.
The board of trade says forums of this kind matter because municipal decisions on development, infrastructure, taxation, transportation and investment directly affect how well businesses can operate and grow.
An open race in Ajax
The Ajax mayoral contest is an open one, with Mayor Shaun Collier not seeking re-election.
The reported candidates for Ajax mayor include regional councillor Marilyn Crawford, former councillor Ashmeed Khan, Carion Fenn, Richard Hinds and Vian Persad.
Pickering mayoral candidates also took part in the same forum, though the candidate introductions were not itemized in the Daily Durham's account of the event.
How to watch and how to vote
Two recordings of the roughly hour-long forum are available online.
An attendee-recorded version, about 58 minutes long, was posted to YouTube. Daily Durham noted that the recording was shared by an audience member who is himself a candidate in another Pickering race, so viewers should weigh it accordingly.
Rogers tv also aired its own version of the forum, running about 59 minutes.
Ajax residents go to the polls Oct. 26. Online and telephone voting runs Oct. 19 to 26, and in-person voter assistance centres will be open Oct. 22, 23, 24 and 26.
