Between the door-knocking, tea parties, community feasts and other events which demand a candidate's time during a campaign, all-candidates forums present another obligation and challenge.

While attendance is never mandatory, missing an opportunity, as Conservative candidate Darrell Pasloski chose to do for the Dawson City Chamber of Commerce's event in 2008, can garner much negative press.

In the leadup to this 41st general election on May 2, all-candidates forums in the territory could outnumber the four candidates in the race.

Already, Whitehorse-based NGO Bringing Youth Towards Equality (BYTE) is holding the first-ever all-candidates forum geared toward voters under the age of 30, and those not yet old enough to cast a ballot.

For the April 15 event, each candidate – Liberal incumbent Larry Bagnell, Conservative Ryan Leef, NDP hopeful Kevin Barr and John Streicker of the Green Party – has agreed to attend.

It begins at 7 p.m. at F.H. Collins Secondary School, and doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Organizers at BYTE stress that all are welcome, but "please be advised that this forum will focus on youth issues.

"This is an invaluable opportunity for youth to express their views and have their voices heard and for the candidates to learn from youth what they find important,” reads a statement from the youth organization.

Currently, CBC North's senior producer Arnold Hedstrom is organizing the public broadcaster's all-candidates forum. It's scheduled for April 27 at the Gold Rush Inn in Whitehorse, beginning at 7 p.m.

Moderating the event will be the broadcaster's host of its local morning show, Sandi Coleman. Questions for the candidates will be solicited from the live audience, or via phone from the communities.

In addition, the arts community in Whitehorse is gearing up to host its own candidates forum with an eye to discussing matters related to art and culture, but no date or location have been announced. During the 2008 federal election, a similar event was well-attended.

The Yukon Chamber of Commerce also staged an all-candidates forum in 2008, but calls by the Star to determine if a similar event is in the works for this campaign have not been returned.

And the Dawson City Chamber of Commerce may be hosting another all-candidates forum for the Klondike, but the chamber's manager, Evelyn Pollack, was unable to confirm anything.

"We're having a board meeting today so we may know this afternoon,” Pollack told the Star.

"When we did it last time, we were only able to get three candidates, so it wasn't particularly successful.

"For this year, I think (such an event) would be contingent on whether all the candidates could come,” she added.