The Estevan All Candidates Forum offered residents a final opportunity Wednesday to hear from mayoral and council candidates before the upcoming civic election.
The forum, held at the Estevan Legion Hall, drew around 150 attendees, with another 100 residents watching a livestream from home. Merissa Scarlett, executive director of the Estevan Chamber of Commerce, said she was pleased with the turnout, noting it demonstrated strong public engagement. “I was pleasantly surprised how many people came out...we’ve had 150 probably here in the hall, and then we’ve had 100 people watching at home. To me, that just speaks volumes to people who are engaged, and that means it’s a success for us,” she said.
Mayoral candidates addressed questions from the chamber before participating in a public question-and-answer period. Council candidates then took the stage, split into two groups of five, to respond to chamber questions followed by inquiries from the public.
Scarlett said splitting the council candidates into smaller groups helped avoid repetitive answers and kept the event moving. “I think it just keeps it moving forward, moving faster, and for me it just allowed an opportunity to ask more questions from the public,” she said.
Topics such as lowering taxes, transparency, and economic development were among the most frequently discussed issues. Scarlett noted the variety of opinions voiced, with some attendees prioritizing lower taxes while others expressed a need to support community initiatives. “It is a delicate balance, and I heard a lot of openness from a lot of candidates of how you actually figure that out, and what is the challenge of doing that,” she added.
The event also marked one of Scarlett’s first as chamber director, a role in which she hopes to engage the broader community. “I feel relieved, but I feel really happy that I got to come into the Chamber and really show who I am, meet the community, and actually listen to some of the issues that are top of mind because it’s not just about the businesses, it’s also about the community at large too,” she said.
Estevan's municipal election will be held on Nov. 13 with residents selecting a mayor and 6 councilors. You can learn more about each candidate, as well as the upcoming plebiscite vote, here.