Every election is important but it's safe to say that every election between now and 2030 is an enormous opportunity to set Canada firmly on the path to a healthier future.
Ontario's provincial election will be held on June 2. The most important thing you can do as parents, grandparents, and guardians of the kids who will live with the consequences of our actions is to speak up!
What are the issues that touch closest to home for you?
- Is there a natural habitat near you that's threatened by highway construction or sprawling development?
- Agricultural land you want to see safeguarded so local food producers can survive and communities can be less susceptible to food chain system disruptions?
- Are you worried about yourself, family or friends missing out on employment opportunities in the clean energy, industry and construction sector?
- Is your family experiencing chronic health issues exacerbated by pollution, extreme heat, lack of options for an active lifestyle, or other environmental factors?
- Do you want more resources and strategies for neighbourhoods suffering the most from extreme heat events, flooding, wildfires, or other disasters?
- Are you concerned about affordable housing and thriving, active communities?
- Most of all, what does the world you want your kids growing up in look like?
These are the issues to raise with candidates during the campaign. Most of all, tell them you are speaking for your kids, who can't yet vote but whose physical and mental health and well-being is already being impacted because so far, elected representatives have not acted with the urgency and vision needed to change the path we're on.
And here are more campaigns and actions you might be interested in:
-
Encourage your school district to hold voter registration drives in the district's high schools to support youth voting. Here's a template letter you can use, thanks to parents in the Toronto District School Board.
- 4RGrandchildren has prepared this information handout that they're using in their door-to-door canvassing to raise awareness of the environmental platforms for each of the major parties.
-
Environmental Defence's Vote for the Environment campaign
-
Grand(m)others Act to Save the Planet (GASP) is an influential, strong voice for climate activists across Ontario - check out their election priorities here
-
The Ontario Climate Emergency Campaign is a non-partisan collaboration of groups developing a Climate Emergency Action Plan for Ontario and prioritizing the plan during the election campaign.
- Sierra Club Canada's key election issues cheat sheet
-
GreenPAC is supporting candidate debates in key ridings - find out more here
-
Ontario Voters Coalition is a new collaborative undertaking to identify priority issues for candidates and report on platforms