Edmonton-Centre Conservative candidate declines local debate invite

With just over two weeks to go until Canadians across the country cast their vote in the federal election, the riding of Edmonton-Centr in Downtown Edmonton is heating up.

The community league has organized for a local debate next week, but Conservative candidate for the riding Sayid Ahmed has declined the invitation.

While Liberal candidate Eleanor Olszewski and NDP candidate Trisha Estabrooks will be there, Events Director of Wîhkwêntôwin Community League Colten Bishop said Ahmed declined to attend.

“Ahmed’s campaign team said that the Tory candidate is committing to door-knocking every night until election day and will not be able attend,” said Bishop.

CityNews reached out repeatedly to the candidate’s campaign team for comment, including phone calls to his campaign manager, emails to the Federal Conservative media spokespeople and showing up in-person to Ahmed’s campaign office in Edmonton Centre where campaign staff said they would get back. But, as of broadcast deadline on Friday, neither Ahmed not his campaign team returned CityNews’ requests for comment.

However, other candidates in Edmonton-Centre say they are not surprised.

“We have to be able to connect and speak to voters, and community organizations that are hosting debates — that back-and-forth participation, that’s what democracies are about, that’s what elections are about,” said NDP candidate Trisha Estabrooks.

Liberal candidate Eleanor Olszewski said with a hotly contested riding like Edmonton-Centre, not showing up for debate is not a good strategy.

“I don’t understand it all frankly, I don’t understand why that wouldn’t be permitted to happen. Although I guess that’s an extension of what Mr. Poillievre has been doing on a bigger scale,” said Olszewski.

There are 10 candidates registered to be on the ballot in Edmonton-Centre. These include Sayid Ahmed of the Conservative Party of Canada, Trisha Estabrooks of NDP, Eleanor Olszewski of the Liberal Party of Canada, David John Bohonos of the Christian Heritage Party of Canada, Merryn Edwards de la O of Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada, Naomi Rankin of Communist Party of Canada, John Ross of the People’s Party of Canada and three independent candidates- Gregory Bell, Ronald S. Billingsley Jr. and Mike Dutcher.

Community organizers say the invitation is still open for Sayid Ahmed to attend the debate, saying his decision to not come prevents him from speaking with voters he normally wouldn’t be able to.

“Door knocking is very important and valuable to the election process. Downtown Edmonton, especially Wîhkwêntôwin where there are a lot of condo buildings and apartment buildings that candidates just don’t have access to,” added Bishop.

In 2023 provincial election, Ahmed ran for the UCP in the riding of Edmonton-Decore, where he lost to the NDP’s Sharif Haji by a little more than 1,700 votes.