Voters in Campbell River and the Comox Valley will have several opportunities to hear directly from local election candidates this week, beginning with two events on Monday night.

In Campbell River, the focus turns to the mayoral race as incumbent Kermit Dahl faces challenger Andy Speck at the Tidemark Theatre.

The debate runs from 7 until 9 p.m.

Admission is free, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Campbell River council race will then take centre stage over three consecutive evenings.

With 15 candidates seeking council seats, the field has been divided alphabetically into groups of five for debates Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Each council debate will also run from 7 until 9 p.m. at the Tidemark Theatre.

The events are being co-hosted by the Campbell River and District Chamber of Commerce, Campbell River Mirror and Tidemark Theatre Society.

Residents unable to attend in person can watch the debates live through the Tidemark Theatre website.

Recordings are also expected to be posted afterward through the Chamber’s YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, candidates seeking to represent the Comox Valley RD’s three rural electoral areas will gather at the Florence Filberg Centre in Courtenay Monday night.

The forum for candidates in Areas A, B and C runs from 6 until 8 p.m. and will give rural residents an opportunity to hear their positions on issues affecting their communities.

Municipal candidate forums for Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland were held earlier this fall.

Recordings of those events remain available through the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page for voters who were unable to attend.

General voting day for B.C.’s local government elections is Saturday, October 17.