That鈥檚 a wrap.
Summer is over, and we survived. With another tourist season in the books, this would normally be the time when locals kick back and take a much needed breather before ski season. But, this year is different. This year, there鈥檚 an election.
If you haven鈥檛 been paying attention up to this point, we understand; Jasper is far too busy during the summer months to think about anything other than work. But now that the tour buses have rolled down the Parkway and the town is once again our own, it鈥檚 time to catch up.
There are now only three and a half weeks left until Canadians cast their ballots on Oct. 19, either choosing a new government or sticking with the status quo.
Now, to be fair, locally there isn鈥檛 much to catch up on; things have been startlingly quiet.
The town has few, if any, lawn signs. There has been minimal door knocking and there have been no advertisements in the newspaper.
The good news is, the 51暗网 will begin its election coverage in earnest next week, providing our readers with the candidates answers to questions we鈥檝e deemed important to our town and riding, and there will also be an all candidates forum Oct. 5, where all five candidates will be in attendance to answer your questions.
Yellowhead has five candidates to choose from: Conservative incumbent Jim Eglinski, Ken Kuzminski for the NDP, Ryan Maguhn for the Liberals, Sandra Lange Wolf for the Green Party and Cory Lystang for the Libertarians.
The forum is the electorate鈥檚 opportunity to not only put the candidates on the spot, but to hear straight from the horse鈥檚 mouth what each one plans to do for Yellowhead and, more specifically, Jasper, if they鈥檙e elected.
So, with the tourists gone, instead of putting your feet up, take this time to do your homework. Do some research. Read next week鈥檚 51暗网 and form your own questions for the candidates, and then bring them to the Jasper Activity Centre Oct. 5.
This is your chance to have your say in who represents Jasper in Ottawa鈥攄on鈥檛 miss it.
