Osoyoos Elementary School Grade 5-6 teacher Christopher Lewis wasn’t quite sure who to set the microphone height for when he introduced Grade 6 student Cesar Martinez Vasquez at Tuesday night’s all-candidates forum at the Sonora Centre.

Cesar was one of six students who came with Lewis to the forum and he was the one to read a question the students chose in class to ask the candidates.

Lewis is leading this year’s student vote program at the school. Some of the other students with him were videoing the question and will share it with schoolmates.

“How will you create more opportunities for youth that will benefit all families,” said Cesar, reading from a piece of paper he pulled from his pocket.

Candidate Shelley McIntyre said she noticed some well-used mountain biking trails and wondered why there weren’t more. She suggested businesses could be subsidized to create more activities for youth in the area.

Incumbent mayor Sue McKortoff noted that the town does have quite a few trails and bike paths, but they are expensive, so the town adds a few each year. The town has put in playgrounds recently, she said adding that the town contributed to the natural playground recently installed at the elementary school.

As well, she said, the town has added tennis courts and pickleball.

“Now I’m not sure if pickleball applies to all ages, but maybe it should because there’s lots of people here that play pickleball,” said McKortoff.

Candidate Sherani Theophilus said she’s on the board of the Mental Wellness Society in Penticton and she advocates for youth and mental health. She said she’s started a project for peer support.

Jim King, seeking re-election as a councillor, said one thing he’d like to see not only for the youth, but for everybody in town, is a regional swimming pool.

Perennial candidate Sy Murseli said he’d like students to come before council as a delegation and demand their wish. He used the question to object to town councillors using the Sonora Centre without paying a fee like everybody else.

Candidate Brian Harvey said he liked the idea of a swimming pool “depending on the budget.” He told how for the past two summers he’s been the co-ordinator for the youth sailing camp on Osoyoos Lake. He said getting kids involved in sport is “a fantastic thing,” noting his own involvement with competitive swimming in his youth.

Kenny Music said a regional pool and leisure centre “would be a great idea for the community” and he said inviting Cesar and his classmates to come to a council meeting to present their ideas would be “a great idea as well.” He said involving youth in sport “is the number one thing you can do for the youth,” noting his family background of professional sport players.

Myers Bennett agreed: “When I grew up, my whole life was sports. And I know it kept me out of a lot of trouble.”

C.J. Rhodes, seeking re-election as a councillor, referred to his unfortunate experience with a mock vote at the school during the election of 2014.

“I came in dead last,” he deadpanned.

Supporting both schools in the community “is absolutely mandatory,” said Rhodes. “Everybody in this community has to be engaged in making sure that they survive. Many positive programs for youth begin in the schools, so it’s important to continue them.

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times

More videos from the forum will be posted soon. Apologies for some technical issues.