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Incumbent Mayor Brian Bowman speaks to media in Winnipeg, Tuesday, June 5, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods) Incumbent Mayor Brian Bowman speaks to media in Winnipeg, Tuesday, June 5, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce has nixed plans to hold a mayoral debate with the frontrunner candidates after being unable to secure full participation.

The Chamber’s 2018 Civic Election Debate was to be held on October 19.

In a letter to Chamber members, president and CEO Loren Remillard said, “Our priority is to provide you — Chamber members — with the highest standard of programming. This unwavering commitment has informed The Chamber’s long-standing practice of extending election debate invitations to frontrunner candidates only.”

Remillard went on to say, “Logistics, including the fixed time frame of a lunch-hour event, shape the format that we feel best enables candidates to provide the deep dive into issues that members have come to expect at Chamber debates. This commitment, coupled with the inability to secure the full participation of the leading candidates to facilitate this format, has led to our decision.”

The frontrunner candidates in the race are incumbent Mayor Brian Bowman and business consultant Jenny Motkaluk.

The next chance for Winnipeg voters to see the mayoral candidates square off will be at the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ forum on Tuesday, September 25. The event will be held in the lobby of Manitoba Hydro Place beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Voters head to the polls on October 24.