Chilliwack (The Grand Hall) – On October 8, 2026, 14 Chilliwack school trustee candidates came together at The Grand Hall for a public forum ahead of the October 17 local election. Candidates participated in rotating groups and responded to questions about the role of a school trustee, student learning and achievement, budgets and priorities, safe and inclusive schools, parent and community involvement, and effective school board governance. The forum was designed in a non-partisan fashion to give candidates an opportunity to share their perspectives directly with voters and help our community learn more about the people asking to serve on the Chilliwack Board of Education.
The candidates in attendance were: Katie Bartel Barbara Bednarski Brooke Bouwsema-Cardinal Michael Carter Paul Henderson Sadie Hesketh Leah Kelley Christine Kruger Cary Moore Darren Ollinger Hayden Rampton Willow Reichelt Margaret Reid David Swankey
A quick note about the recording: we experienced some microphone and audio challenges at the beginning of the event. Unfortunately, some candidates’ responses were too quiet to be fully picked up by the camera microphone.
The audio improves as the forum continues, but we apologize for any portions that may be difficult to hear.
Thank you to all of the candidates who participated, to our hosts Clint Hames and Corinne McCabe and organizers, to The Grand Hall for providing the space, and to everyone who joined us in person.
Most importantly, thank you to everyone taking the time to learn about the candidates and participate in our local democracy.
