Election = silly season

It's a few weeks away yet until the civic election in Edmonton but you can tell that "silly season" (a term I picked up from a friend out East referring to campaigning) has already begun.

Door-knocking, T.V. commercials, flyers and signs in front yards declare loudly who should be the best candidate to lead our city, form our council and represent children and parents in schools.

I'll admit I've been less engaged previously but as I grow older and consider setting down roots in Edmonton I'm suddenly a lot more aware of what's happening around me. I'm interested to hear what the mayoral candidates have to say about their vision for Edmonton, but so far it's been hard to get them in one place to hear their platforms in a non-debate type manner.

Enter #politweetup. A good friend of mine decided to bring all candidates together for a relaxed evening of meeting with the Edmonton public while shooting some pool at Metro Billiards. It was a great way to get up close with candidates and really hear more about their platform. I hope more of these events will happen in the future to re-engage voters with their city but also politicians with their audiences.