In an effort to bring the political process to students and the wider community, Durham College (DC), Trent University Durham and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) co-hosted two federal candidates’ debates on DC and UOIT’s shared campus, on September 30. A candidate and networking exposition was also offered.

Candidates running to become a federal Member of Parliament, representing the Oshawa and Durham ridings, engaged in separate 60-minute debates while the networking expo gave students and community members the opportunity to discuss issues and speak with the candidates representing the Conservative, Green, Liberal and New Democratic parties.

“Providing opportunities for our students to become engaged, politically savvy citizens is very important,” said Tony Doyle, chief of staff, Durham College. “For many, this is the first time they are old enough to vote; we want to provide a venue for all students to learn as much as possible about the candidates, the parties and the election process. We hope these efforts will result in a very large student turnout on election day.”

In addition to the debates and networking showcase, there is broad interest both on- and off-campus in connecting students to the election. A number of DC professors have established election-specific assignments within courses, student clubs have arranged sessions on campus with local candidates, and the college worked with Elections Canada to set-up information booths at its Oshawa and Whitby campuses.

The federal election will be held on Monday, October 19.