As Toronto gears up for its October 25 municipal elec-tions, CARP is calling area members to turn out and grill your future mayor: find out what he or she will do to make your city a more age-friendly place. Download the Event Poster for More Details

It all takes place on Aug. 11. Show up with your ques-tions — and bring a friend — to CARP’s first ever May-oral Debate.

“This debate is the forum to find out whether the can-didates have a vision to make Toronto more age-friendly,” says Susan Eng, CARP’s vice-president of advocacy. “We’re used to hearing them shout out slogans. Now we’ll find out whether they are mindful of what it takes to make real change.” Eng, as debate moderator, will challenge the five main candidates — Rob Ford, Rocco Rossi, Sarah Thomson, Joe Pantalone and George Smitherman — on the issues that concern older residents. “The municipal realm has authority over key facets that affect our members,” says Eng, pointing to social ser-vices, transportation, affordable housing and fighting elder abuse as examples. “We’ll be looking for practical answers.” And if they start spouting from their election platform? “We’ll pull the plug,” Eng promises.

CARP will use this event as a launching pad, with the idea that chapters across Canada will hold their own debates whenever there’s a local election. CARP’s Barrie chapter has committed to staging its own debate for that city’s municipal elections this fall.

During the last meeting, the Barrie Chapter had discussed this idea, the meeting notes and chapter information are available here.

Barrie Ontario Chapter Chair Gwen Kavanagh has confirmed that her chapter will be hosting a mayoral debate on September 21st 2010, more details to come…

Keywords: election