Two debates being planned for a County facility, one debate not proceeding
HALDIMAND—Candidate debates are now underway in Haldimand County, with many organizations – including The Press – turning to private facilities in the wake of restrictions on County-owned venues.
The Dunnville Chamber of Commerce hosted a debate with candidates for the mayoral, Ward 5, and Ward 6 seats on September 24, 2026 at the Dunnville Legion.
Rebecca Booth, Chamber President, said they initially requested to rent the County-owned Dunnville Community and Lifespan Centre: “The All-Candidates Night that we hosted four years ago was hosted at this location, so we figured we would host it there again.”
As with other organizations making such requests at the time, Booth was advised that Haldimand County’s Corporate Use of Elections Policy, updated March 2026, meant “that debates, campaign events, etc. are not permitted on County-owned property.”
The Dunnville Chamber considered several privately owned facilities, but each presented difficulty. Booth said Grand Erie District School Board properties were cost prohibitive, the Dunnville Calvary Church “isn’t walkable,” and the Dunnville Optimist Hall “lacks sufficient parking.”
“We decided that the legion was our best option … as it is centrally located, walkable, accessible, and was situated (near parking lots),” she said. However, with four mayoral candidates and 10 councillor candidates, Booth was concerned “regarding the size of the space available.”
The event saw about 220 attendees and lasted from 7:30-11 p.m. Booth said “a number of people … had to stand because we couldn’t get enough chairs into the hall,” but the venue presented no further challenges.
As previously reported, Section 5.1.5 of the elections policy states, “Candidates and registered third parties may not rent any Haldimand County facilities for campaigning purposes, including candidate debates.”
Seeking its own rental for a debate in the County-owned Caledonia Lions Community Centre since May, The Press urged Haldimand County to reconsider its ban as organizations like The Press and local chambers of commerce are not registered as candidates nor third-party supporters.
County Clerk Chad Curtis, who applies this policy, initially maintained the ban, stating, “Hosting a debate at (a) corporate facility could be seen as endorsing or supporting a candidate or issues, even unintentionally.”
Although the Dunnville Chamber’s plans were already set, Booth said she was “glad to hear (this) … Frankly, it was rather undemocratic of them to prohibit the use of County-owned facilities – which are funded, in part, by taxpaying residents and volunteer boards – for election purposes.”
The Press contacted Curtis on August 13 with details of its event and a request to rent the Caledonia Lions Hall, emailing again August 17. Curtis replied August 18, requesting to meet August 26. During the meeting, Curtis outlined several conditions, which The Press declined. Deputy Clerk Sandra Smiley Trimble attended the meeting but did not participate. Her notes listed the conditions as: “Appropriate reporting on election matters; provision of security for the event; one-time exemption for 2026 only – no exceptions will be made for future elections.”
Asked in a follow-up email how the County would determine “appropriate reporting,” Curtis replied, “Comments regarding reporting were made in the context of ensuring residents have access to accurate election information and voter education materials. Media coverage, editorial content, and reporting practices do not form part of the County’s decision-making process when considering facility rentals.”
On why he reconsidered election-related rentals, Curtis said, “We recognize that debates and all-candidates meetings serve a distinct public purpose … Requests for these types of events may therefore be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account factors such as the availability of alternative venues, operational and safety requirements, and ensuring all certified candidates have an opportunity to participate.”
During the meeting, Curtis referred to the allowance as a ‘grace period’ for the 2026 municipal election. In a subsequent email, however, he clarified, “Any future request would continue to be evaluated on its own merits and in accordance with the policies and procedures in place at that time.”
Curtis outlined concerns for public safety during the meeting based on County staff experiences, noting any rental would require his approval of a safety plan to protect the building and attendees. In the follow-up, Curtis said “the County occasionally deals with challenging interactions” but declined to comment on if staff have been threatened or physically assaulted “for privacy, employment, and security reasons.”
Asked what would be required in a safety plan, Curtis replied, “Requirements would depend on the nature of the event, anticipated attendance, and other operational considerations. Organizers may be asked to provide information related to crowd management, emergency procedures, site access, or other event-planning measures, where appropriate.”
The Press asked if a risk assessment was available as a basis for security plans. With no such assessment completed, Curtis said, “The intent is not for organizers to respond to a predetermined checklist. Rather, it is to provide sufficient information about a proposed event for the County to understand the operational and safety considerations … and determine whether any additional measures may be required.”
The Dunnville Chamber considered hiring security but proceeded without it: “There is something inherently valuable about face-to-face interaction, as it has a way of humanizing disagreement,” said Booth, noting they were able to “maintain a positive and respectful environment.”
The Press chose to rent the privately owned Riverside Exhibition Centre for its October 7 Mayoral Debate and Candidate Meet & Greet. While the space presents several challenges due to its layout and smaller size, The Press opted to proceed with the privately owned venue rather than risk delays associated with completing and obtaining approval for a safety plan before sharing event details publicly.
The Selkirk Chamber of Commerce is one of two organizations proceeding with a debate in County-owned facilities, hosting the two Ward 1 candidates for a debate on October 5 in the Selkirk Centennial Community Hall at 7 p.m.
The Chamber Board of Directors provided a joint statement, noting they had a “brief meeting” with Curtis and received verbal direction for a required safety plan.
“The Clerk was to follow up with written details on what that plan needed to include, but we never received that follow-up. Rather than wait, we drafted a safety plan on our own and submitted it; it was accepted via email,” they said.
Details included “things like equal treatment and neutral moderation of both candidates; public access and privacy; accessibility; occupancy, seating, and aisle widths; emergency egress; fire and building safety; first aid; crowd management and occupancy level control; candidate safety and separation from the public; media/recording placement; and weather and parking. The plan does not include hiring private security.”
The Chamber said this “created extra work for the Chamber, both in the planning stages and in executing the event.”
“We feel these are important events for the community, and we hope to continue hosting them,” they continued. “That said, the last-minute nature of this requirement, and the lack of a specific written standard from the County, left things open to interpretation. We think a more formalized procedure – spelled out in advance – would help ensure consistent expectations.”
The Jarvis Board of Trade is planning a candidate event at the County-owned Jarvis Lions Community Centre on October 6, with a meet and greet at 6 p.m. followed by a question-and-answer period, including mayoral and Ward 1 candidates, at 7 p.m.
Ian Cooper, Board President, considers the hall to be the only feasible venue in Jarvis for the number of attendees expected. He spoke with Curtis by phone and was advised of the needed security plan, but given no specific requirements within it. As of writing, Cooper was in the process of creating the plan to submit for approval. He intends to hire two retired police officers as security, stating, “No way you can hire private security; it costs more than the hall rental.”
Cooper said the new requirements are “a little bit of inconvencience, but not much … other than the consternation (during the ban) until they changed their interpretation of the policy, which was a misinterpretation in the first place.”
The Caledonia Chamber of Commerce hosted a two-hour, drop-in meet-and-greet event with candidates in Ward 3 and Ward 7 on September 17 in the privately owned Community Support Centre’s Wellness Room.
The Press sent several questions asking whether they considered a County-owned facility and why they chose the support centre, but were told, “The Caledonia Regional Chamber of Commerce will be declining to comment for this story.
The Haldimand Federation of Agriculture is not proceeding with a debate this year, instead choosing to sponsor The Haldimand Press debate. Its board of directors declined to comment on the decision.
Booth concluded by thanking the candidates, attendees, volunteers, and moderator Lorne Boyko for their participation in the Dunnville Chamber event. A recording of this event was to be uploaded to its YouTube page this week. Booth encouraged any residents with remaining questions to reach out to candidates directly.
