Western will once again play host to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Alumni Hall will be the setting of a London Town Hall meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11. The event is open to the general public.
Trudeau is visiting London this week as the Canadian government holds its winter cabinet retreat in the Forest City.
Doors open for the town hall at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. However, those wishing to attend the free event should expect to enter a queue in front of Alumni Hall early for a seat.
With approximately 2,300 seats available, organizers expect the event to reach capacity and some visitors in the queue may be turned away. While you may RSVP for the event, this does not guarantee access.
Attendees are asked to consider car-pooling or using public transit as parking is limited. Free parking will be available in Springett Lot, accessed via Western Road, after 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
Backpacks, bags, and large purses will not be permitted inside the venue and will have to be checked in with security.
For the campus community, Alumni Hall will be closed all day Thursday until the doors open. The Lambton Drive entrance to campus will be closed at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. However, those parked on campus will be permitted to exit via Lambton Drive.
Trudeau kicked off his Town Hall Tour in Nova Scotia Tuesday, then traveled to Hamilton for a second event today. Following London, Trudeau will then take a break before holding another meeting in Quebec City on Jan. 18. Later in the month, Trudeau heads to Winnipeg and Edmonton.
The visit comes almost one year to the day when Trudeau brought his London Town Hall to campus after overwhelming demand from the community forced a late change of venue. After more than 1,000 people were turned away from the event due to space limitations in January 2017, the capacity crowd questioned Trudeau on everything from the needs of veterans and those with mental health issues, to disgust over what some call the Liberals’ “overspending issues” with regards to fiscal policies