As initiators of the Salt Spring Island governance review process, the three elected officials, George Grams, Peter Grove and Wayne McIntyre, recognize the benefit of engaging the community in a process of formal structured debates to allow the full implications of incorporation to be explored.

The debates would be a means of providing a forum for reasoned, civil discourse within the community that would allow the opportunity for counter argument and refutation on both the actual and potential consequences of incorporation. In short, the debates would facilitate the exploration and discussion of subjective issues as well as the factual and technical. This would be a means of addressing the concerns of some in the community to deal with these issues.

The debates would be conducted following the completion of the incorporation study process and subject to the Minister’s decision to hold a referendum. That decision could be published as late as the first quarter of 2017. The number and structure of the debates is currently under consideration but, dependent on community interest, it is anticipated there could be more than one. Two teams of panelists selected from interested debaters within the community would propose and oppose motions for debate.

George Grams - Local Trustee Salt Spring Island
Peter Grove - Local Trustee Salt Spring Island
Wayne McIntyre - Electoral Area Director Salt Spring Island