After weeks of issues, discussion and door-knocking, the election really gets busy this week with a trio of upcoming all candidates meetings and debates. You can do it on a bike, or you can check out a discussion about social justice, or you can wait until next week and hear the candidates wrap about the climate.

First up on Wednesday, get your bike out so that you can ride with the Federal candidates by using your two-wheels. The Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation (GCAT) has invited the main Federal candidates – meaning Lloyd Longfield, Ashish Sashan, Steve Dyck, Aisha Jahagir and Mark Paravolos – to take a bike ride around town.

“During the ride, we will utilize current multi-use paths and painted bike lanes. GCAT guides will highlight upcoming and some potential cycling infrastructure projects that would increase the safety of riders and increase the amount of people choosing cycling for transportation,” says a GCAT press release.

The bike ride will begin at 5:45 pm in front of the River Run Centre and should wrap up at Red Brick Cafe around 7 pm. If you want to take part in the bike ride, you do have to pre-register by going to Eventbrite here.

Next, on Thursday, the Guelph-Wellington Coalition for Social Justice will be hosting their regular all candidates meeting on social justice issues. Likely, all candidates in the race will be there and answer questions abut social issues and how to the solve them.

The venue, as usual, will be the Italian Canadian Club at 135 Ferguson Street at 7 pm.

The Retired Teachers of Ontario, the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG), the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, and the Wellington Water Watchers are co-sponsoring the event. Admission is free, but donations to help cover costs would be appreciated. 

Exactly one week later, another debate will be held with an environmental focus. This will be one of the “100 Debates on the Environment” that are being held across the country during the election

“100 Debates on the Environment has a simple mission: to make the environment an issue that no party and no candidate can ignore by organizing more than 100 inclusive, politically neutral, and environment-focused all-candidates debates in communities across Canada,” says the 100 Debates website.

The venue for the Guelph debate is Centennial C.V.I. at 289 College Avenue West. OPIRG, eMERGE, Transition Guelph, Wellington Water Watchers, and the Canadian Federation of University Women are among the 10 co-sponsors of the event.

UPDATE – September 24!!!

The Guelph Chamber of Commerce has announced their details for their regular Federal debate.

The Chamber debate will take place on October 9 at 6 pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall. New Chamber President and CEO Shakiba Shayani will moderate the five main party candidates: Conservative Ashish Sachan, Green Steve Dyck, Liberal Lloyd Longfield, NDP Aisha Jahangir, and People’s Party Mark Paralovos.

Questions will come from the Guelph Chamber, the Guelph & District Realtors Association and the general public.