An All-Candidates Forum is happening in Carman tonight for the upcoming Conservative Party of Canada's Portage-Lisgar candidate nomination.

Jodi Winkler is the executive director of the Carman and Community Chamber of Commerce and says four candidates were slated to participate as of interview time -- Lawrence Toet, Brandon Leslie, Don Cruickshank and Cameron Friesen. 

"We are holding it at the Carman Collegiate Community Theatre," says Winkler. "The doors will open to the public at 6:30, and the forum will start at 7:00."

She notes the importance of the forum rests on the fact that the Conservative Party has held this riding for many years, and she believes the public should be aware of the candidates that are eligible to represent our area as our MP.

Winkler explains the format includes four predetermined questions that will be posed by the moderator to each candidate. 

"The candidates will then each have two minutes to answer those questions," continues Winkler. "We will be accepting questions from the public from the floor. They will go through the moderator, and they will be posed to all candidates and the candidates will also have a two-minute opening statement and a two-minute closing statement."

She notes the public will have a place provided where they can write their questions down and then the moderator will ask the candidates.  Winkler says there wasn't enough time to set up the streaming capability due to the timing they were given to be able to hold the forum.

"The voting takes place on the 28th and 29th of April," adds Winkler. Further note to that, Conservative memberships will not be available for purchase at the forum. So, if the public does not have their membership with the Conservative Party of Canada already, unfortunately, it's too late for that."

Winkler encourages people in the Portage-Lisgar riding to attend and, as far as she knows, it's the only public forum that is being hosted for this nomination election. 

"We look forward to hearing what the candidates have to say," notes Winkler.