Meet Canoo member Susan Shaw from Calgary.
Susan says that she chose to move to Canada because she wanted a country with “a future – and snow!” She loves the space, the mountains, the people, and the feeling of safety that Canada provides her.
Her favourite place to visit is Kananaskis Country, Alberta. This Alberta Parks location is full of beautiful views of the mountains and Susan spent many nights in the park during a road trip from Alberta to B.C. with her children.
Susan believes that cultural places “teach people who didn’t grow up being Canadian what the history of Canada is, how [Canada] reflects the diversity of all its citizens, from the original inhabitants through to the modern immigrants.”
Susan says she’s loved using Canoo to visit cultural venues. “I have enjoyed searching new places to visit that I would not [have] known about if I hadn’t had Canoo,” she says, “The app is so easy to use and I have [had] positive reactions from people when I show the Canoo [app]; people congratulate and welcome me as a new Canadian.”
“No matter where my birth country is,” Susan says, “first and foremost, [I am] Canadian.”
Ananya Ohri, artistic director of the Home Made Visible Project (HMV)
Home Made Visible (HMV) is a nationwide archival project by the Regent Park Film Festival, Toronto’s longest running free community film festival. HMV highlights the histories of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC). Under the artistic direction of Ananya Ohri, HMV collected home movies from BIPOC communities across Canada to digitize and archive them for free. It also brought together Indigenous and visible minority artists to explore the connections between our vast and varied communities. The commissioned artworks and digitized home movies were presented through a series of public screenings across Canada. HMV ended in 2019 but the archival material produced remains accessible through the York University Libraries.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your relationship to film and archives?
I was born in India and came to Canada when I was 10 years old. When my grandmother finally moved to Canada to spend the last years of her life with family, she could not bring the trunk full of photographs and documents that were sitting in her apartment in New Delhi. In many ways, this feels like a huge loss. And I also know that there are other ways for me to connect with that history. I have living relatives I can speak to, I can visit sites, and there are digital copies of some of the contents of that trunk somewhere. I consider this a privilege. What happens, though, when you do not have ways to connect with your past? What happens when others piece together what your history looked like? And shape ideas of where you come from, what and who you can call your own, or not? This has been a reality for many communities who have experienced (and continue to experience) displacement, enslavement, and colonization. People in these communities have worked hard to reach back and find connections with the past that bring integrity, pride, anchoring, and resonance with who they are and who they are becoming.
Archives, and personal and community archives in particular, are important to me because they give a glimpse into histories that have been overlooked, marginalized, and misrepresented. They hold nuance and complexity that has been glossed over or simplified. They demonstrate that our individual histories are important to us AND the wider communities we belong to. They are a reminder to honour our own stories, especially when we feel like there is no point or the task seems too difficult.
While I have time on my side, I should get to tracing the contents of that trunk. They give insight into the forces of history that have shaped me and offer up a slice of history that belongs to an entire peoples.
Tell us how the Home Made Visible Project (HMV) came about:
HMV came about because home movies by BIPOC communities were not part of our institutional archives and because, unless they were digitized, the tapes and reels on which these home movies did exist would soon be falling apart.
The project also came about because through our work at the Regent Park Film Festival, I have come to recognize the immense importance of representing joy in BIPOC communities. And home movies are full of joy. So we got to work asking people if they had home movies, we then digitized them for free and added a copy of a portion of each to the York University archives. There is a repository of BIPOC joyful instances through this archive, which I hope will inspire new stories, images, and representations that reinforce our capacity to be joyfully complex people.
What were your initial thoughts on the power of archives to shape who we become? And how did they evolve as you embarked on the HMV project?
I wanted to preserve home movies and put together an archive that would encourage new kind of stories – joyful stories – about BIPOC communities, which can often get lost among the more challenging stories that get told.
Through the three years of the project, I gained better appreciation for how long it takes an archive to come together and how much longer it can take for it to reach people. After digitizing 300 films and archiving excerpts from each donor family’s collection, we need to create ways that artists, academics, and curious minds will not only come across this archive but create something from it for a wider audience to engage with. This archive has just been around for less than 2 years – it has ways to go, not only in terms of the material it can preserve and collect, but also the people it can reach, before it can make a big impact on greater representation of joy in BIPOC stories.
How are home movies different from other archival materials, and what can they do for representation?
Archival documents have traditionally been official records (like ownership documents) or anthropological records (like documentation and photographs taken by explorers). BIPOC communities, in all their diversity, have often been excluded from the official records, historically disenfranchised to be landowners, etc. Or been misrepresented or left out by someone else in the anthropological records. Home movies are a type of historic where at least one person from their own community captured a moment that they wanted to capture, in a way they wanted to capture it. It is a record of self-preservation and self-representation.
BIPOC communities have fought to tell their stories. And most of these, given the history of Canada, are very challenging. With the addition of documentation of joy to the archive, it is my hope that the stories we tell will increase in complexity, where we are not continually an issue to be reflected upon, but whole humans, with a range of experiences.
Could you speak more about your interest in exploring how our diverse histories converge?
Black, Indigenous and People of Colour communities, BIPOC, is such a vast term, bringing together identities based on the similarities they share with each other in their relationship with whiteness and white supremacy. But how do these various identities, their experiences, their beliefs, their histories intersect with one another? And how can these intersections better lead us to a shared liberation? These are the questions that spark my interest in exploring how our diverse histories converge on this land called Canada. In particular, I want to cultivate a context where Black and POC artists feel supported in extending their engagement beyond ideas of migration, displacement, and diaspora, to also exploring their connections to Indigenous peoples and colonization.
What was the response to the artworks and selected clips?
There was a range of responses: marveling at new information, to simply being dazzled by the joy. My hope is that the pieces sparked people’s interest in personal archiving of their own. In some cases, especially in the workshops, I could see that.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
The Regent Park Film Festival is Toronto’s longest running free community film festival, dedicated to showcasing local and international independent works relevant to people from all walks of life, with a focus on inviting those from low income and public housing communities. The films presented break stereotypes and show that no one place or person has just one story.
Meet Canoo member Shameka and her family.
As a new Canadian citizen, Shameka believes that active citizenship is an important practice. “Active citizenship means to me getting involved in your community no matter how small the activity may be,” explains Shameka. “[For example,] sitting on a parent council at your kids school or volunteering to go in and speak about your career for career day or donating to your local food bank. It doesn’t have to be something elaborate; it just has to be something that has an impact on others and making a difference in their lives.”
“The best place I’ve visited using Canoo was Telus Spark Science Centre,” says Shameka, “We visited on a Statutory Holiday and it was a bit crowded but my kids had an awesome time… for once my 5 year old didn’t complain that he was bored and actually didn’t want to leave! It felt so good watching my kids explore the centre and ask questions about how things worked, [even] competing with each other in operating the simple machines. I have never seen them that engaged before. Now we have a membership for the centre. Canoo afforded my family the opportunity to visit some places that we would not have thought about visiting and we totally enjoyed the experience!”
Shameka thinks that cultural places “help people to have a deeper appreciation and understanding of different cultures and this leads to persons feeling more connected and comfortable in society.”
As of today, The Market Gallery has partnered with Canoo to welcome new Canadian citizens into their space with free admission.
Canoo is a mobile app that helps new Canadian citizens celebrate their citizenship by providing free admission to over 1400 museums, science centres, art galleries, parks, and historic sites across Canada.
The Market Gallery animates the second floor of the South St. Lawrence Market, which encloses all that remains of Toronto’s original 19th-century Front Street City Hall council chamber, operating from 1845-1899. The historic site presents a variety of changing exhibits related to the art, culture and history of Toronto.
Canoo members in Toronto and the surrounding area, check your app to learn more about The Market Gallery and to visit! To find more places to visit near you, be sure to enable location services on the Canoo app. Learn more about the app on the Canoo Help Centre.
Meet Canoo member Christine Samonte.
Christine immigrated to Canada over 10 years ago, and now lives in the Calgary area. She received her Canadian citizenship in June 2019. Christine chose to move to Canada in part because “it’s one of the most beautiful countries in the world!”
Christine’s favourite city in Canada is Vancouver, but her favourite place in the country is Banff National Park, and she visits the park regularly. “I always love Banff because of its amazing sceneries,” she says.
She believes that Canoo helps to play a role in building social inclusion as it allows her to “enjoy and witness the different cultures” in Canada. “What I love most about Canada is its diversity of people and culture,” she says.
Meet Canoo member Vikash Raghoebier.
“I chose Canada because of its liberal laws and accepting culture,” says Vikash, “What I love most about Canada is that you can be your true authentic self here, and the beautiful landscapes.”
“To me, inclusion means the unprejudiced offering of equality, respect, and dignity to an individual,” he adds.
Vikash’s favourite place in Canada is Montreal. “The versatility of this country is reflected in this fun and bustling city where arts and cuisines are curated with finesse and cultures are celebrated with splendour,” he says. “Montreal is also a historic time capsule with captivating architecture, which made me nostalgic of a past unknown. I made friends there amazingly fast!”
In Montreal, Vikash has enjoyed visiting cultural venues with Canoo. “Cultural places are the playground where social dynamics are formed very early on in the process of integration. Hence the development of social inclusion depends on the cultural places,” he says. “Canoo has been the best gift one could receive as a new Canadian citizen. After all these months with Canoo, I feel I know my country more than I did before and the traveling has nourished me emotionally and spiritually.”
Claire Oliver, left, is the audience development officer at Danse Danse.
Danse Danse has been bringing the best of local and international contemporary dance to audiences in Montreal since 1998. Their commitment to promoting dance and its appreciation has seen Danse Danse’s work grow from showcasing performances, to creating education programs geared to youth and schools, to creating a dedicated audience development department in 2015. We recently spoke with Claire Oliver, audience development officer, about Danse Danse’s work, dance as a common language, and the ways in which diversity shapes an organization.
Could you tell us a bit about Danse Danse and your role at the organization?
Danse Danse is a contemporary dance presenter. In other words, the organization presents shows by local and international contemporary dance companies. For our 22nd season, 12 companies will present a total of 60 shows and two school matinees at the larger Théâtre Maisonneuve (1,400 seats) and the more intimate Cinquième Salle (300 seats) at Place des Arts.
Since its beginnings, Danse Danse’s mission has focused on promoting contemporary dance and audience development. As such, in 2015 it created an audience development department to make performing arts more accessible and make people more aware of them. My colleague Anne-Sophie Viens and myself are developing inclusive projects in schools and communities, and with the new citizens that we’ve been happy to welcome to our shows since 2018!
Montreal is a vibrant city, known for its diversity of cultures, ethnicities, and religions. How has this shaped and impacted Danse Danse?
Montréal is extremely rich in cultural diversity and many of the creators presented by Danse Danse are established in Québec but come from other countries: Algeria, Venezuela, Mexico… Not to mention the dancers. There are a lot of international companies in addition to all the local ones, and the total number of performances makes Danse Danse the leading contemporary dance season in Canada. Since its beginnings, Danse Danse has presented foreign companies from 23 countries and five continents.
As for the audience, a recent study* has shown that our audience is proportionally more culturally diverse than the population of the city of Montréal. Our office team, for its part, has people from Germany, China, France, Lebanon and Québec working together (our potlucks are phenomenal), and everyone contributes their own enriching background to our work, which addresses emotions, expression, and identity.
* 2018 Canada Post profile analysis
How is dance, as a medium, inclusive? How is it accessible?
Dance has been around since…prehistoric times! To celebrate, conduct rituals, socialize… dance has been used as a form of expression on all continents. Also, there’s basically only one tool required: our body. Without words, there’s no language barrier.
In addition, contemporary dance has largely democratized the representation of the human body on stage: it can be tall, small, muscled, thin, it can have physical limitations…
There are dance classes offered for all ages and conditions: for toddlers, seniors, people with reduced mobility. Dance truly is an artistic medium that brings people together. There’s something for everyone, so go ahead, dance!
Tell us a bit about your Get Youth into Dance program, and how it encourages participation and connection
Danse Danse created the Get Youth into Dance program in 2005. The program, which is run with the funds collected during our annual fundraising campaign, gives several hundred youth the chance to see our shows for free every season. Youth centres, schools in underprivileged neighbourhoods and community organizations that work with vulnerable populations can thus bring youths to a Danse Danse show and be greeted by an ambassador that provides information and guidance before, during, and after the show. It creates a special space for expression, listening, and sharing.
To date, over 6,800 youth have had the opportunity to use the program. There are also 930 new citizens who have had the chance to see our shows for free and some have attended a movement workshop with a special guest from the season!
How have initiatives such as the Get Youth into Dance program changed Danse Danse as an organization?
The Get Youth into Dance program also gives youth a voice. We hear that voice and it helps us grow and move forward. The guidance and resources for the program evolve throughout the years. And it has led to several other projects! In fact, it is the key to our cultural actions: the projects we’re creating, the resources we’re developing, and the partnerships we’re building.
The audience development department as such was born out of this desire and need to go further in guiding audiences that are less interested in or aware of our offer and contemporary dance.
Do you notice any difference in how audiences connect to performances when there is an element of mediation? Or any form of intervention to introduce new audiences to dance?
Mediation is a way to create connections between an individual and a piece. When youth participate in a workshop with an artist whom they then get to see on stage, it has an immediate impact: they feel involved, proud, at home in a theatre that they wouldn’t necessarily have chosen to go to. They become stakeholders in the artistic experience.
When ambassadors speak to the youths before the show, their goal is to create connections between them and the piece they will see, to make them want to see the show.
It’s like magic when you see the connection forming: the feeling that art has no boundaries, that it brings people together and immerses them in an intimate and creative experience. It’s experiencing our deepest emotions and letting them soar.
How does Danse Danse encourage inclusivity outside of the theatre?
In addition to presenting shows, Danse Danse organizes dance workshops, backstage visits, and workshops for audience members at the theatre, in studios, or even in schools and community centres. Artistic meetings can happen in places other than the theatre. We can also meet the public wherever it is.
We also have a partnership with an art gallery – Arsenal, Contemporary Art – that provides dance artists with a creative space for a few weeks and ends with a public presentation of the work they have done.
We’re working on multiplying our inclusive projects for the general public: youth, new citizens and seniors (a pilot project is coming soon), so that we can bring the joy of dance to an ever-increasing audience!
Which of your initiatives are you most proud of and why?
That’s a hard one…I feel fulfilled by my work because it relates to people, feelings, sharing. Regardless of the result – discovering a true passion, sharing a pleasant moment, feeling confused or at a loss – all artistic experiences can be constructive and important.
I’m just as proud of the little initiatives as the big ones. In fact, I’m proud to have been given the mandate to create the audience development department and make it grow with my amazing colleague Anne-Sophie Viens. And all that is possible thanks to Danse Danse’s drive and commitment.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
As of today, the Toronto Railway Museum has partnered with Canoo to welcome new Canadian citizens into their space with free admission.
Canoo is a mobile app that helps new Canadian citizens celebrate their citizenship by providing free admission to over 1400 museums, science centres, art galleries, parks, and historic sites across Canada.
The Toronto Railway Museum is housed in the historic John Street Roundhouse. They tell the stories of Toronto’s railways through exhibits and programs for the whole family.
Canoo members in Toronto and the surrounding area, check your app to learn more about the Toronto Railway Museum and to visit!
To find more places to visit near you, be sure to enable location services on the Canoo app. Learn more about the app on the Canoo Help Centre.
Canada’s federal election is on Monday, October 21, 2019. As an organization that encourages active citizenship, the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) is keen to make sure that all Canadians, especially new citizens, are informed about both how to vote and what political parties have to say about citizenship and inclusion. Below is a breakdown of where the major political parties stand on issues of inclusion, namely immigration, citizenship, multiculturalism and diversity, and countering hate. Included are commitments from the Liberal Party, led by Justin Trudeau; the Conservatives, led by Andrew Scheer; the NDP, led by Jagmeet Singh; the Green Party, led by Elizabeth May; the Bloc Québécois, led by Yves-François Blanchet; and the People’s Party, led by Maxime Bernier.
For information on how and where to vote, check out this blog post. And for those who aren’t yet citizens, you can still get involved in parallel voting processes led by organizations like CIVIX and Ryerson Democratic Exchange’s Vote Popups.
To understand the platforms of each political party on a wide range of issues like climate change, housing, health care, taxes, and education, take a look at CBC’s analysis, which is continuously updated as the parties add to their platforms. While citizenship and immigration are important to the ICC, we know that voters want to be informed about the complete collection of commitments before heading to the polls!
Where the parties align on immigration
On the record, the Liberals, Conservatives, NDP, and Greens have each stated they are in favour of economic immigration, however, there are substantial differences in their approaches. Economic immigrants already make up about 60 per cent of Canadian immigration, and are assessed on their skills and ability to contribute to the Canadian economy. Economic immigration does not include refugees and others accepted through the humanitarian class or family reunification and sponsorship.
The parties mentioned above also agree on the need to improve international credential recognition in Canada, which is a significant barrier to employment for immigrants. Improving the credential recognition system would not only allow immigrants to reach their full potential, but also contribute their full skill sets and experience to the Canadian economy.
Where they diverge: Immigration levels and priorities
The Liberal Party platform commits to “continue to welcome more people to Canada, with a focus on attracting highly skilled workers.” The Liberal government created an immigration levels plan for 2018-2021, which was the first time in over 15 years that a plan was set for more than a year at a time. Under that plan, immigration increased to 321,045 immigrants in 2018, with a target of 350,000. They plan to introduce a dedicated refugee stream for human rights advocates, journalists, and humanitarian workers. The Liberals say they also plan to move forward on a Municipal Nominee Program “that will allow local communities, chambers of commerce, and local labour councils to directly sponsor permanent immigrants.”
The Conservative Party platform was recently released, about two weeks ahead of the federal election. The Conservatives say they will prioritize economic immigration over humanitarian (refugees) or family reunification/sponsorship, and private sponsorship of refugees, rather than government-assisted refugees. Mr. Scheer commits to refocusing the government-assisted refugee program specifically to genocide survivors, LGBTQ+ refugees, and internally displaced persons. The Conservatives’ platform commits to aligning immigration with skills and labour gaps in business, increasing the number of points needed to enter Canada through the Express Entry Program, reducing irregular border crossings, and negotiating greater jurisdiction for Quebec around immigration.
The NDP’s platform commits to making “sure that immigration policies and levels meet Canada’s labour force needs and recognize people’s experiences, contributions, and ties to Canada.” They say that “family reunification should be a priority” of Canadian immigration policy and would “work with provinces to address gaps in settlement services.” The NDP platform also commits to setting up stronger regulations in the immigration consultant industry. Mr. Singh has said the NDP will get rid of the cap on applications to sponsor parents and grandparents, and that they will eliminate immigrant application and landing fees.
The Green Party platform commits to “speed up family reunification, especially reuniting children with their parents,” “establish a system that is fair,” and attract immigrants to support Canada’s aging population and fill gaps in the labour market. The Green Party will also “lead a national discussion to define the term “environmental refugee,” advocate for its inclusion as a refugee category in Canada, and accept an appropriate share of the world’s environmental refugees into Canada.” The Greens say they want to eliminate the Temporary Foreign Workers Program and increase funding for language education and training services in Canada’s official languages.
The Bloc Québécois platform emphasizes the autonomy of Quebec’s decision-making, and proposes that the Quebec National Assembly should choose the number of provincially accepted immigrants and refugees, rather than the federal government. The Bloc Québécois platform also promises to streamline the processing of Temporary Foreign Worker Program cases, and promises a tax credit for recent graduates and immigrants who accept a job in rural areas of Quebec.
The People’s Party of Canada states they are against “mass migration,” and their platform commits to “lower the total number of immigrants and refugees to between 100,000 and 150,000” per year, a level not seen since 1986. The People’s Party platform specifically says that mass immigration is used as a tool by mainstream parties to buy immigrant votes and states that it drives up housing prices. They go on to say that immigration “should not be used to forcibly change the cultural character and social fabric of our country. And it should not put excessive financial burdens on the shoulders of Canadians in the pursuit of humanitarian goals.”
The Pathway to Citizenship
The Liberals have promised to eliminate the application fee for those eligible to obtain citizenship. Currently, the fee is $530, which was raised by the former Conservative government from $100. Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, stated that their government “heard from groups across the country… that the prohibitive fees were stopping families from becoming Canadian.”
The Green Party platform commits to “establish a program to process the estimated 200,000 people living in Canada without official status, providing a pathway to permanent residency for those who qualify.” They also want to “ensure ‘lost Canadians’ quietly being denied citizenship through archaic laws are protected and that their citizenship is restored.” They commit to improving “the pathway for international students and foreign workers to Canadian permanent residency and citizenship.”
Promoting Diversity and Multiculturalism
The Liberals say that they will “improve diversity in appointments to federal agencies and bodies” as well as “appointing only bilingual judges to the Supreme Court of Canada.” Mr. Trudeau is the only leader who says he would consider challenging Quebec on Bill 21, which bans certain public servants, including teachers and police, from wearing religious symbols.
The Conservatives’ platform makes no specific mention of commitments to multiculturalism and diversity. The Conservatives say they would not challenge the Quebec government on Bill 21.
The NDP platform makes several commitments to fight discrimination on the basis of race, gender, or sexual orientation and to improve equity. The party platform says they will “strengthen labour laws and ensure diverse and equitable hiring within the federal public service, and in federally regulated industries. Jobs and training for underrepresented groups will be a core part of federal infrastructure plans.” Mr. Singh supports expanding language laws in Quebec, but has not made a commitment to fight Quebec on their Bill 21.
The Greens emphasize collaboration with provinces and municipalities to “integrate new Canadians into the multicultural fabric of our country.” In their platform, they make multiple promises to support diversity and multiculturalism, including “assisting cultural organizations to obtain charitable status.” They also commit to enhancing “Community Benefits Agreements to increase economic inclusion and opportunity for marginalized communities.” Ms. May says that she is personally opposed to Quebec’s Bill 21, but she would not have the federal government intervene.
Mr. Blanchet, of the Bloc Québécois, has stated that the Multiculturalism Act should not apply to Quebec, largely due to concerns and desires to protect Quebec’s culture and language. In the October 7th leaders’ debate, Mr. Blanchet defended Quebec’s Bill 21, and said that Quebec doesn’t need federal politicians telling them “what to do or not to do about its own values.”
The People’s Party of Canada platform commits to “repeal the Multiculturalism Act and eliminate all funding to promote multiculturalism, instead emphasizing the integration of immigrants into Canadian society.”
Countering Online Hate and Strengthening Inclusion
The Liberal platform commits to “help stop the proliferation of violent extremism online” by requiring social media platforms to remove illegal content, including hate speech, within 24 hours or face significant financial penalties. To fight racism offline, the Liberals commit to strengthening the Anti-Racism Strategy and doubling its funding, increasing funding for community-led initiatives promoting inclusion and combating racism, and improving data collection on hate crimes. They will also “strengthen investments in the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence.”
The NDP platform also commits to standing up against all forms of hate and racism. They promise to convene a national working group to counter online hate, and protect public safety, ensuring that “social media platforms are responsible for removing hateful and extremist content before it can do harm.” Under the NDP, all major cities will also have dedicated hate crime units within local police forces.
The Green Party plan commits to protecting minorities from discrimination as part of their key elements of a green economy. They commit to regulating Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms to ensure that “only actual people, with verifiable identities, are able to publish on those platforms.”
The Conservative Party and People’s Party of Canada both frame this conversation around the need to protect “freedom of expression” and will promote policies and legislation designed to protect freedom of speech in Canada. The People’s Party of Canada specifically emphasizes “protecting Canadians from censorship” in their platform. The Conservatives also commit to introducing a Cyberbullying Accountability Act., prohibiting the use of phones or the internet to threaten or advocate for self-harm.
Active Citizenship
Some of the parties have put forward investments that encourage active citizenship and participation in arts and culture that are very in line with, and perhaps inspired by, the ICC’s arts and culture program and app, Canoo. The Liberal government has announced the promise of a Culture Pass, a $200 credit to children when they turn 12 to access theatres, museums, galleries, workshops, and other cultural venues and local Canadian content. The Conservatives have said that they will eliminate admission fees to all national museums for all Canadians, and tourists.
Rather than eliminating costs or putting forward credits for individuals, the NDP and Green parties commit to investing in arts and culture institutions, media, and artists and cultural producers. For example, the NDP platform commits to income tax averaging for artists and cultural workers. The Green Party platform commits to “increasing funding to all of Canada’s arts and culture organizations, including the Canada Council for the Arts, the National Film Board, and Telefilm Canada.”
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship encourages everyone to check out the parties’ full platforms, and have your voice heard on October 21st!
The federal election is around the corner! This is your chance to have your say on issues and decisions that will have an impact on your life. Here is everything you need to know about casting your vote on October 21, 2019!
Register to vote
You don’t need to register in advance to vote! You can register at your assigned polling station when you go to vote on election day, Monday, October 21.
Where to vote
If you pre-registered to vote, you will have received a voter information card in the mail that tells you where and when you can vote.
If you haven’t received a voter information card, use the Voter Information Service to find your assigned polling station
When to vote
Vote at your assigned polling station on Monday, October 21. Polls will be open for 12 hours. Check out the Elections Canada website for voting hours in your province.
What you need to vote
To vote in the federal election you have to prove your identity and address. There are three ways you can do so:
– Show your driver’s licence or any other card issued by a Canadian government (federal, provincial/territorial or local) with your photo, name and current address
– Show two pieces of ID. Both must have your name and at least one must have your current address. Examples: voter information card and bank statement, or utility bill and student ID. See full list of accepted IDs for this option.
– If you don’t have ID, you can still vote! You will need to declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station vouch for you. The voucher must be able to prove their identity and address.
Assistance with voting
Find out more about the tools and services available to make it easier for you to vote on the Elections Canada website
