The Richmond Hill Board of Trade will host candidates from all six wards, city-wide races and school board contests over three evenings in October, continuing its long-running role in local election engagement.
By Staff Writer
The Richmond Hill Board of Trade is planning three evenings of all-candidates debates in October, giving voters a chance to hear from candidates running across all six wards, as well as those seeking city-wide and school board positions.
The 2026 Municipal Election All Candidates Debate series will run from October 6 to 8, from 5 to 9 p.m. each evening, at three locations across Richmond Hill. The Board says the moderated discussions will focus on municipal issues including growth, local services, economic development and community priorities. Attendance is free and open to the public.
Tuesday, October 6: Wards 3, 5 and 6 candidates at Richvale Community Centre, 160 Avenue Rd.
Wednesday, October 7: Wards 1, 2 and 4 candidates at Bond Lake, Norm Taylor Room, 70 Old Colony Rd.
Thursday, October 8: Mayoral, Regional and Local Councillor candidates, along with School Board Trustee candidates, at Langstaff Gym C, 155 Red Maple Rd.
A familiar role for the Board of Trade
Candidate events are not new territory for the Richmond Hill Board of Trade. In the 2018 municipal election, it hosted an all-candidates meeting for Wards 1 and 2 at the Oak Ridges Community Centre, where residents questioned candidates about taxes, transit, spending and council conduct.
The Board was also one of the organizations that organized an all-candidates debate during Richmond Hill’s 2022 mayoral byelection, held virtually because of pandemic restrictions.
More recently, RHBOT organized a provincial all-candidates event in February 2025 covering Richmond Hill and Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill, followed by two federal election debates in April 2025. Its Richmond Hill South federal debate attracted all seven confirmed candidates and a full house, while its Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill event also drew a large audience.
Outside election periods, the organization also runs its annual Power Hour, bringing municipal, provincial and federal representatives together with residents and the business community to discuss issues such as housing, affordability, economic development, energy and infrastructure.
The Board of Trade describes itself as a non-partisan organization and has said that keeping the public informed and engaged, including through federal, provincial and municipal election events, is part of its role in Richmond Hill.
Registration for the October debates is available through the Richmond Hill Board of Trade website.
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