The Terrace all-candidates forum, scheduled for this evening, has been cancelled after three of the five candidates withdrew. The Conservative, Green, and Liberal candidates all pulled out in the days leading up to the event, leaving only NDP incumbent Taylor Bachrach and Christian Heritage Party leader Rod Taylor still planning to attend.
The Terrace Chamber of Commerce, which organized the forum, informed members of the cancellation on April 10. The event was set to be a key opportunity for voters to hear from federal candidates in the Skeena–Bulkley Valley riding ahead of the upcoming election.
Despite the cancellation, both Bachrach and Taylor still plan to be at the Terrace Sportsplex at 5:30 p.m. to meet with residents informally.
The other candidates cited prior commitments and scheduling conflicts, but their absence has raised concerns about accountability and voter access. Terrace is the largest community in the riding, and the forum was one of several planned stops across the region.
Upcoming all-candidates forums are still scheduled in Houston on April 16 and in Burns Lake on April 17, though so far, only Bachrach and Taylor have confirmed attendance for those events as well.
How can they expect a vote when they can’t take the time to tell us why they deserve it?