Held in the steamy auditorium of Westmount High School — which proved an excellent, albeit warm, substitute for the temporarily out-of-commission Victoria Hall — the meeting offered voters a chance to see and hear the people whose names will be on the local ballot this coming Monday (or in the October general election, if one is called).

To their credit, the candidates came ready to do battle. While this regular event is not a debate (though it's often mistaken for one) the spirit of confrontation was alive and well — especially on the part of residents. There was at least one rude buffoon from NDG who used the question period to vent his anger at the government, but he quickly fled before anyone could offer a rebuttal. Perhaps most disappointing of all was the absence of the Bloc candidate, who has steadfastly maintained a non-presence in Westmount — rendering his very candidacy in this riding a farce, not to mention a waste of time and money.

Organizers and attendees alike would certainly agree that this was one of the best candidate meetings ever held in Westmount, and part of its success is due in large part, to the staff at Westmount High School, who rallied in the name of community spirit and lent us their auditorium. Most noteworthy was teacher Philip Corcus, who returned from his summer vacation a day early to help us set up. When he realized that the PA system had disappeared from its rightful spot backstage and had been scattered throughout the school over the summer, Mr. Corcus tirelessly searched the classrooms, hunting down each key in the process, until he finally came up with the every last mike, cable and speaker — then set it all up on the stage for us. This was all above and beyond the call, and he deserves our most heartfelt thanks.

Also to be thanked are moderator Victor Drury, who once again lent his expertise to the event, and Examiner columnist Marilynn Vanderstaay, whose networking abilities kept the project on track.. Of the Westmount Municipal Association, many thanks go out to Dr. Henry Olders, the unfaltering timekeeper Stanley Grossman, and of course Stanley Baker, who once again began making phone calls just hours after the by-election was announced in July.