About 250 people piled into the Fernie Community Hall Nov. 2 to get a glimpse at who is running for city council and Regional District of East Kootenay Electoral Area A seats in the Nov. 19 elections.

Ably emceed by Glen Purdy, the candidates’ forum featured a set of questions for the mayoral candidates and the 10 council candidates, as well as the Area A candidates.

Opening and closing statements by the candidates provided voters with a peek at who they are and why they believe they should garner votes.

The forum featured 10 council candidates, including incumbents Phil Iddon and Randal Macnair, as well as Casey Brennan, Andrea McKay Horton, Joni Krats, Jonathan MacGregor, Dan McSkimming, Willard Ripley, Erik Stout and Joe Washawsky. In addition, current Mayor Cindy Corrigan and Coun. Mary Giuliano squared off in a mayoral debate, while Area A incumbent Mike Sosnowski and challenger Oscar Neilsen gave rural voters a look at who they should vote for.

Among the questions asked were: what leadership skills do the candidates have to ensure city staff are working for the city and council; what would they do to attract and retain small business; what are their views of the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan; what steps would they take to address late night downtown vandalism; are they for or against increased investment in the tourism industry; what are their top three priorities for infrastructure renewal in Fernie; what are the key differences between the roles of mayor and councilors; and do they support or oppose coal bed methane, the coal mining industry and heavy industry.

For the sake of brevity, due to the volume of people providing answers, e-KNOW is going to provide answers for only the coal/heavy industry question.

For the full take on the forum, please go to http://www.fernietv.com/channel1/forum2011.html for video of the evening.

All of the candidates stated they supported the coal mining industry but coal-bed methane extraction, or fracking, received a variety of views.

“I was the first person to say no out loud to coal bed methane,” Giuliano, speaking first, stated. However, while opposed to fracking, she noted that the mining industry remains the most vital element to Fernie’s economy.

“Without our mining we would not be here – our entire valley would be be here,” she said.

Corrigan said Fernie “is built on mining” and it would be imperative for the city “to be at the table” on any discussions about coal-bed methane. “We need to know exactly what is going on.”

Joe Washawsky said he supports coal mining and its many spin-offs and admitted he doesn’t know enough about coal-bed methane to comment directly. “I only know what I’ve read,” he said.

Erik Stout said he supports the coal mining industry but not coal-bed methane. “I easily say I would not support any proposal for that,” he said.

Willard Ripley said, “I do not support or oppose any of these proposals. It has to make sense and be responsibly done” on a “case-by-case basis.”

Former mayoral candidate Dan McSkimming simply stated, “Agreed with Willard” while Andrea McKay Horton also echoed the two previous candidates, stating, “You have to examine all sides of a proposal.”

Past mayor and current councillor Randal Macnair said, “We’ve been mining coal in the valley for 113 years. I hope we are mining coal for another 113 years.”

However, coal-bed methane is “a whole new ball of wax” and he’d like to receive “some satisfactory answers” from the provincial government on its impacts.

Jonathan MacGregor began by noting he’s originally from Elkford and “coal mining is in my blood and possibly a bit in my lungs,” he laughed. “We should never fail to realize the employment from the five mines.”

As for fracking, he said, “It should be held to the highest standards.”

Candidate Joni Krats, a Teck employee, said it is irresponsible to make “a blanket statement” about any industry “and we should carefully look at each project in detail.”

Current councillor Phil Iddon began by pointing out the benefits of logging and admitted that while coal-bed methane is “controversial,” there are instances when its removal makes sense, especially from ongoing, current mining activity. “The gas should be harvested. We should never waste anything in life,” he said.

Finally, Casey Brennan somewhat agreed with Iddon in that he agrees with the extraction of coal-bed methane from current mining sites because “it’s a really potent gas” that gets released into the environment. The mining activity helps bring the gas to the surface and releases it, so it makes sense to harvest and it use it, he explained. That said, he said he is concerned about ‘fracking only’ proposals.

“There is an avalanche of individual proposals in the Elk Valley right now,” he said.

See separate stories on the mayoral candidates and Area A candidates.

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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