CHARLOTTETOWN - Norman Beck is still knocking on doors in Brighton, P.E.I. even after winning his seat back allowing him to return unopposed for a second term on Charlottetown city council. It’s part of a pattern playing out across P.E.I., where some communities have struggled to find enough people to run in this year’s municipal election. Three of the capital city’s 10 wards have just one candidate, similarly in Summerside six out of eight wards only have one. Nominations were extended in 18 Island municipalities after too few people came forward to fill all the available mayoral and council positions. “The reality of the job is it’s much more public facing than maybe it’s ever been,” said Beck, who represents Ward 3. While social media helps him connect with residents, he added it’s also brought increased public scrutiny and criticism. “I think people may not be ready to accept that or to live with that.” Uncontested races remain common elsewhere in Canada, although recent totals in some provinces suggest modest improvements. In Ontario, 400 candidates have been acclaimed in this year’s municipal elections, meaning they won without facing an opponent. There were 548 acclamations in 2022. Last year, 4,607 mayors and councillors were elected unopposed in Quebec, accounting for more than half of the 7,835 people elected. According to provincial figures, 4,970 won without a contest in 2021. In Charlottetown’s Ward 4, Spring Park, Rima Rashed is one of five candidates competing in the Nov. 2 municipal election. She believes distrust in politicians could be discouraging some from running, along with the workload and time commitment of serving on council. “Maybe people are busy with family and their job, and they don’t have time for this. And it’s not easy,” she said. “They don’t want to be judged, too.” Although she sees it as a big responsibility, Rashed said she had few hesitations after others encouraged her to put her name forward. For voters, the competition offers a chance to weigh which candidate they trust to work on their concerns. “It’s people’s choice now,” she said. Back in Brighton, Beck also cited the demands on families and work-life balance. He also pointed to the financial commitment of running a campaign. Fortunately, he said, the job is a good fit at this point in his life. Running uncontested doesn’t change much for him, and he’s excited to continue serving his constituents. Beck hopes people will get involved in municipal politics - even if they can’t serve on council - by attending public meetings, watching broadcasts, or keeping up with local issues so they understand how decisions are made. “The more engaged our residents are, I think the better off our city will be.”
