School Board election debate shows depth of talent

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/10/2023 (1101 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon University’s Evans Theatre was the venue for an all-candidates debate on Wednesday night in advance of next Wednesday’s byelections for one seat in each of Ward 1 and Ward 2 of the Brandon School Division.

The event was hosted by ACC journalism instructors and co-organized by the Brandon Teachers’ Association, CUPE Local 737, Brandon University, Westman Communication Group and the Brandon Sun. I was one of the three panellists who asked the candidates questions, while my fellow panellists were Brandon University political science professor Kelly Saunders and retired teacher Peter Beuhler.

A few minutes prior to the debate beginning, Kelly and I discussed how hard it is to convince good candidates to run for elected office these days, and the many reasons why. Running for election is a big commitment and it isn’t always fun. It costs you money, time and energy. It often exposes you to the best and worst elements of our society, and there seems to be a lot of angry, obnoxious people out there these days.

For those and many more reasons, it has become increasingly difficult to convince smart, thoughtful and committed citizens to put their names on ballots. They don’t want the hassle and, especially for many women, they don’t want the harassment, intimidation and anger that comes with campaigning and often worsens if they are elected.

Can you really blame them? Who needs that?

With those thoughts in mind, I had modest expectations when the debate began. I didn’t know any of the seven candidates in attendance – Ward 1 candidates Breanne Bauche, Kirk Carr, Sheri Miller, Bonnie-Lynn Mills, Brad Rusnak and Scott MacMillan, as well as Ward 2 candidate Lorraine McConnell – and I didn’t expect much from them, in terms of the quality of their answers.

I was wrong. From the moment the candidates began their opening statements, and then began answering the questions posed by the panel, I was pleasantly surprised by the thoughtfulness of their positions. It was clear that they had each done their homework in advance, understood a range of issues the school board must grapple with, and were each able to communicate their thoughts with passion and clarity.

I was hoping that one candidate would be obviously superior to the other candidates, so that the public could rally around that candidate and avoid splitting the vote among the several candidates who oppose book banning and anti-LGBTQ measures.

That didn’t happen, however, and that’s not because the candidates revealed themselves to be unqualified and unsuitable. Rather, it’s the opposite. Each of the seven candidates who attended the debate performed well. Indeed, as the debate drew to a close, I thought to myself that I could see every single one of them sitting at the school board table, playing a constructive role in board decisions.

Despite the fact that it is becoming increasingly difficult to convince qualified, thoughtful citizens to run for elected office, we have beaten the odds in the school board byelections. In fact, we continue to beat the odds here in Brandon.

Last year, I wrote that almost all of the candidates for city council were qualified for the position and, if elected, would make a valuable contribution at the council table. The same was true for almost all of the candidates in the Brandon East, Brandon West and Spruce Woods ridings in the recent provincial election. They appeared to understand the many issues facing our city and province, and they each appeared to be committed to improving the lives of Manitobans.

Returning to the issue of the school board byelections and concerns about potential vote-splitting, the reality is that there is a clear choice in Ward 2: If you are opposed to book-banning, or concerned that so-called “parental rights” is a smokescreen to stigmatize LGBTQ+ students, vote for Lorraine McConnell. If you aren’t, you can vote for Henry Sieklicki.

Ward 1 is a different matter. Kara Morrice openly supports “parental rights,” while the six Ward 1 candidates who attended the debate do not. The possibility of vote-splitting is genuine, but the antidote to that issue is for voters to show up in large numbers.

In other words, if you don’t want a school trustee with a “parental rights” agenda, the best way to avoid that is to take the time to vote, and convince your friends and family to do the same. Election day is next Wednesday, Oct. 25. Here are the places where you can vote:

Ward 1 voting stations, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.:

• Monterey Estates Recreation Hall (40 Mockingbird Drive)

• McDiarmid Drive Alliance Church (635 McDiarmid Drive)

• East End Community Centre (405 Park St.)

• Victoria Inn Salon 2 (3550 Victoria Ave.)

• Brandon School Division Administration Office (1031 6th St.)

• Brandon Shoppers Mall Unit # 22 (1570 18th St.)

• Keystone Centre drive-through voting only through 13th St. entrance (1175 18th St.)

Ward 2 voting stations, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.:

• Alexander — Alexander School (102 Argyle St.)

• Shilo — Ecole O’Kelly School (T-101 St. Barbara Ave.)

• RM of Cornwallils — Brandon Hills Community Hall (50159, Road 106W)

Mobile voting stations, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. at health-care facilities in Brandon:

• Brandon Regional Health Centre and Assiniboine Centre (150 McTavish Ave. East)

• Rideau Park Personal Care Home (PCH) (525 Victoria Ave. East)

• Fairview PCH (1351 13th St.)

• Dinsdale PCH (9510 6th St.)

• Hillcrest PCH (930 26th St.)

• Valleyview PCH (3015 Victoria Ave.)