'Not helpful': Nickel skips another mayoral forum, has BBQ instead
While five front-running mayoral candidates faced off in a forum Thursday afternoon, the other candidate, Mike Nickel, was serving hot dogs in the parking lot of his campaign office.
The moderator of the Downtown Business Association forum in Ford Hall made a point to announce that Nickel was invited, but didn’t respond.
It was the third such announcement in three weeks — at different forums that Nickel has not shown up for.
“If you want to be a mayor candidate and you want to be considered for election then you should be attending the debates,” candidate Kim Krushell said afterwards.
“And by not doing it, I’m not sure if he’s trying to translate Donald Trump or what he’s trying to do. But it’s not helpful for Edmontonians who are trying to make decisions.”
Nickel missed a Sept. 8 forum because he said he didn’t want to part of a ticketed event.
He skipped a Sept. 9 forum because he said he doesn’t get along with the moderator.
Nickel also missed a Sept. 13 virtual forum, and it wasn’t clear why.
Krushell, Amarjeet Sohi, Michael Oshry and Cheryll Watson — widely considered the others most likely to win — all attended all of those events.
Rick Comrie was also invited to Thursday’s forum because organizers said he polled in the top six frontrunners.
Nickel made no apologies after his BBQ, when CTV News Edmonton asked about the absences.
“My supporters and constituents come first. They want to go ahead and do 50 or 60 debates and talk amongst themselves, that’s fine. I’m more interested in talking to people on the streets,” he said.
He gave no other reason why he missed the DBA event.
Nickel did attend a forum in Chinatown on Sept. 14, and said he’ll probably make it to more now that federal election is over.
And while most other candidates have ignored Nickel completely, Oshry criticized him for not showing up.
“When they’re losing, it’s back to fear mongering and fabrication,” Nickel responded Thursday.
“And it’s rather disappointing for former councillor Kim Krushell, who in my opinion is nothing more than Steve Mandel 2.0, to be talking like that,” he added when told of Krushell’s Trump comparison.
After answering a few questions Nickel abruptly walked away from a CTV News Edmonton camera as another question was being asked of him.
Krushell believes Nickel is avoiding forums because he doesn’t want to be forced to answer for his time on council.
“Mike Nickel doesn’t want people questioning his voting record. For example, he’s attended a ton of council meetings but he’s missed a ton of votes,” she said. “He is known as being a divisive individual who hasn’t been able to get along with other councillors.”
Edmontonians go to the polls on October 18.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.