From left, Vermilion-Lloydminster Wainwright UCP nominees Blake Prior, Darrel Howell, Ben Acquaye, Janelle Saskiw,
Eileen Taylor, Danny Hozack, and Garth Rowswell. Photo Angela Mouly
The Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright United Conservative Party (UCP) Constituency Board hosted ‘A Night With The Nominees’ in Vermilion on November 6, at the Elk’s Hall. ‘A Night with the Nominees’ was also held in Lloydminster on November 1, and in Wainwright on November 5. Nomination contestants for the UCP Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright Constituency include Ben Acquaye, Danny Hozack, Jenelle Saskiw, Blake Prior, Eileen Taylor, Darrel Howell, and Garth Rowswell. These sessions allowed each nominee to deliver an introduction and participate in round table question and answer periods with constituents. The moderator, Kellen Snelgrove, asked questions and each table was able to discuss them with a nominee; the nominees rotating tables throughout. “Today we are at the beginning of something new and we, the voters, get to take hold of the way it will go. We wanted to inform constituents. This was a way to have a timed and moderated networking night, and to give each member face time with the candidates,” said Melissa Guenthner, director of the Constituency Association. Guests enjoyed refreshments and visiting with the nominees throughout the evening. Nomination contestant, Danny Hozack said, “I never would have guessed that these would be so effective. I’ve seen more engaged people in these functions than a whole host of political meetings. People were glad they had the opportunity to look nominees in the eye and ask them a question; even if they had asked one on a microphone, they wouldn’t get the same feeling. I think it has been a great exercise in democracy.” “It was like speed-dating for politicians; this has been a really effective method of finding out what is important to people,” said Garth Rowswell, nomination contestant. Members of the party will make their nomination votes in Wainwright on November 26, in Vermilion on November 27, and in Lloydminster on November 28.