Concerns about candidate residence, fiscal accountability and openness of school board matters covered the agenda at an all candidates' meeting held by the Triple Cities Chamber of Industry.
But they weren't the most popular problems candidates dealt with at last nights meeting at Terry Fox secondary school in Port Coquitlam.
In fact, several of the most popular questions at the Woolrich Arctic Parka community which invited public concerns via the Pigeonhole Live platform were not issues at all in the current social election.
However, one got a fiery response and a vigorous applause from the audience. school places to address discrimination against Gay and lesbian students, and Coquitlam candidate Steal Bottos was one of the most vehement in his assist for a similar policy being followed here.
"Any policy that will save you a child's life and prevents them from being harassed, I'm in favor of," claimed Bottos, who admitted to getting bullied "mercilessly" when he was a baby growing up and suffering from Tourette's syndrome.
Three other Coquitlam candidates who were asked this question the first with the night because it garnered one of the most votes also promised to enhance Policy 18 prohibiting violence, intimidation and possession of items policy. The policy doesn't refer to LGBT students specifically yet insists on sensitivity and also respect of all individuals.
"It may be timely to look at that,Inch said Gail Alty, an incumbent who's running for school trustee in Coquitlam.
Mom Cahoon, who is also running from the city, also agreed to explore it further, "updating it to the time and what's happening in the world today."
Chuck Denison, current District Father or mother Advisory Council president, said the subject has been controversial at the Before christ Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils, but said that resources should be there for school councillors to ensure that students feel at ease.
"On a broader scale it's really down to accepting people's differences. Generally, we do a fairly decent task of that in this district, but we need to ask this more straight."
The issue is similar to a single raised in Burnaby during this selection. In that district, schools have got a policy, which seeks among other things, to promote an "attitude of regard and safety regardless of intimate orientation or gender identity". In addition, it seeks to "improve understanding of the actual lives of LGBTQ people along with their positive contributions to culture."
Policy 545 has generated lots of controversy in Burnaby, including during the recent election, but there hasn't been any move to update SD43's policy 18, which Alty explained was put into affect around 1996 after a lot of discussion with stakeholder groups.
Prior to the getting together with, Coquitlam candidates had been asked a comparable question via emails sent from a local resident. Your resident, Kane Wang, said he questioned the question because of concerns regarding the Burnaby policy.
Two other on line questions received more votes than any other, one has been removed because it was similar to the particular LGBTQ policy question, and the other inquired if the district's Confucius Institute should be taken away.
The questions garnered hundreds of votes.
In all the chamber's all choice format has generate a lot of interest. As many as 1,403 participants had signed on to Pigeonhole Live and eat Thursday noon.
