In the coming weeks, politicians will not be the only ones who want to reach voters with their messages before the Ontario election.
Various groups – from local community organizations to national organizations – will also listen to voters on important issues leading up to the June 2 vote.
This is because in most cases the groups either need provincial funding to keep working, or they want to see the next government adopt certain policies.
Take, for example, the David Suzuki Foundation, which is launching a handbook for young people in six different languages.
Although most people will know the foundation for an environmentally conscious organization, the foundation does not say – and cannot – tell people who to vote for on June 2.
Maham Kalim, who created the foundation’s voter guide, said he was inspired, as a first-generation immigrant from Pakistan, by the fact that 200 languages are spoken in Ontario.
The Suzuki Foundation Electoral Guides are published in six languages. (Maham Kalim / David Suzuki Foundation)
“My friends, myself included, always come and go in one or two languages. “We speak our mother tongue at home, English with friends and we may want to learn French from abroad,” she told CBC News.
The guide for voters is in French, Mandarin, Urdu, Punjabi, Arabic and English. His goal is to reach out to young people, and Kalim said he hopes this means that younger voters will return what they have learned to their families and have “meaningful talks” about the election.
But, she stressed, the leadership “does not talk about any party and this is just the main guidelines for voting.”
The votes will determine what happens next in Ontario
Sarah Jenson said the housing crisis has affected every corner of the countryside.
Jenson, 22, became an advocate for affordable housing after she and her mother moved to Castlegreen Housing Co-operative in Thunder Bay 16 years ago.
She is now a board member of the Cooperative and the Cooperative Housing Federation of Canada, which recently launched the Vote4Housing campaign with the Ontario Nonprofit Housing Association.
She wants people to remember her story as they head to the ballot box.
“I know that there are many other families, such as my family, single-parent households and others, who are also facing a crisis with affordable housing. And it breaks my heart to think that if this happened to us today, if we faced homelessness, my mother and I would face a 10-year waiting list to get to a place like Castlegreen, “he said. Jenson during a recent press conference.
The campaign directs people to the Vote4Housing website, where they can fill out a letter with a form calling on the next provincial government to build and protect affordable housing in the community. The campaign sends the completed letter on behalf of the voter to their local candidates.
Marlene Coffey, chief executive of the Ontario Nonprofit Housing Association, was shown at a press conference to launch the Vote4Housing campaign ahead of the provincial election. (Zoom / Vote4Housing)
Marlene Kofi, chief executive of the Ontario Nonprofit Housing Association, told a news conference that the housing crisis was having a “snowball effect” on some of the province’s most vulnerable people.
“As we move into our first post-pandemic election, votes will be more important than ever for shaping Ontario’s social infrastructure and economic recovery and what the future of our province might look like,” Kofi said.
Priorities after a pandemic
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has released a document called Voter Prosperity. Vice President for Policy Dan Safayeni said the document outlines four priorities for the chamber. It is intended for political parties, but they hope to provoke a conversation among voters.
“Honestly, whatever the next government turns out to be, there will be some difficult decisions about the priorities after the pandemic,” Safayeni said.
This includes supporting businesses facing labor shortages, rising inflation, rising energy costs and supply chain disruptions, he said.
As we enter this election, our message to all parties is simple: Ontario businesses need policies that support predictability and economic growth. Read our issue: #IndispensablePartnerofBiz
– @ OntarioCofC
“We think it’s important to also inform this discussion about what’s most important to the Ontario business community. What are the main priorities of the business community? How have the last few years shaped this thinking and informed our political priorities for the future?
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is taking a slightly different approach with the launch of the I Choose campaign. Each week, CMHA launches a new issue for people to consider in order for voters to keep in mind support for mental health and addictions when they go to the polls.
Helen Fishburne, chief executive of CMHA Waterloo-Wellington, said they saw an increase in the number of people seeking support during the pandemic – a great thing, but they did not see additional funding from the province.
“What we want our community to do is stand up for the needs of the people in our community who need mental health and addiction help, and ask our candidates, both elected officials and those who are running. for positions, what their intentions are to better address these needs and these gaps, and what they will do, “Fishburne said.
It’s getting harder to get a message
But will these campaigns, like those of other groups, be lost when messages from political campaigns take headlines? They will probably do it, said Lydia Milyan, a professor of political science at the University of Windsor.
“It is becoming increasingly difficult to deliver the message. “I think a lot of organizations are trying to go directly to social media,” Miljan said.
“It’s a hit and an omission, because either you have to share something with you, or you have to follow someone, and if people are not really interested in politics or even provincial politics, then they will miss these messages.”
However, people can start paying attention now, Miljan added.
“Once the campaign starts, people are starting to notice, if for no other reason, that those wonderful election signs that drop highways and side roads are at least warning people that something is happening.”
Set boundaries
Nor are these just provincial elections in people’s minds today – with wars in Ukraine and Afghanistan, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the problems people face in their own lives.
Helen Fishburne, chief executive of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Waterloo-Wellington, says that while people receive messages from politicians and groups during this election, they need to remember to take care of themselves. (Amanda Grant / CBC)
As people are overwhelmed with messages over the next four weeks, even those from CMHA, Fishburne said it’s important to take care of yourself.
“It’s not just a light switch that turns on or off depending on what we’ve been wearing for the last two years. People wear it day after day. It’s heavy, it’s astounding. It feels like a wet blanket on your life, “she said.
“We want people to pay attention, to name it, to seek support, to set some boundaries for themselves. So be careful how much news you receive. Watch out for the relationships you have with people, which can be very negative. Find ways to manage that support and manage those feelings and seek support. “
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