KITCHENER-WATERLOO All-Candidates Sessions
6:30 pm - 9 pm

Kitchener, Tuesday October 21
Kitchener City Hall

Waterloo, Wednesday October 22
First United Church 

The All-Candidates sessions hosted by the Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo are not traditional debates. Participants and candidates will have the opportunity to talk informally at round tables and to share their thoughts and concerns regarding making Kitchener and Waterloo communities fair, healthy and resilient. 

The purpose of these all-candidates meetings is to build a common ground for people with varying perspectives to discuss the issues important to the social wellbeing of everyone in our communities.  

See the background documents, notes taken and video recording of the presentations made by candidates in Kitchener.

See the background documents, notes taken and video recording of the presentations made by candidates in Waterloo.

Round Table Discussions 

The first part of the evening will be community roundtable discussions. Topics have been identified in the community work done by the Social Planning Council and its partners. You can explore issues and ways in which we can work together, as governments, residents and community organizations.   

We ask all participants to follow a few simple ground rules: 

1.Keep the discussion focused on issues, not on individual candidates  

2.Respect one another’s experience and perspective. 

3.We are here to listen and learn, not to debate or attack any one.  

Suggested Discussion Topics 

• Community Social Planning 
• Civic Engagement
• Strong Neighbourhoods 
• Accessibility and Inclusion 
• Poverty Elimination
• Access to Information
• Digital Inclusion  
• Environment 

Candidate Presentations 

Candidates will get 15 minutes during the break to prepare their presentations. They are asked to focus their presentation on the issues that were discussed at the tables. 

Each presentation will be videotaped and shared on this web page along with the notes from the round table discussions. 

All the candidates will be asked to make specific commitments to a Fair, Healthy and Resilient Waterloo Region. Voters in October 27th municipal election need to know!