Information the key to our democracy
Conversations That Matter speaker series launches May 16
Public libraries and universities share a commitment to learning as the foundation of democracy. It only makes sense that McMaster University Centre for Continuing Education and the Hamilton Public Library would join together to draw attention to voter engagement as we approach the first of two elections in 2018.
McMaster University has been a strong part of the city of Hamilton since 1887, but in 2011, McMaster president Dr. Patrick Deane urged the McMaster community to reinvigorate their relationships with the surrounding community. As a result, in 2015 the Centre for Continuing Education relocated into the heart of downtown, at One James North, to become neighbours with another important member of the Hamilton community: Central Library of the Hamilton Public Library. Together, McMaster and the Central Library reside on a historic city block and now look to fulfil that vision of reinvigorating relationships and building inroads within the surrounding community.
We know that voter turnout is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy; yet we see, election after election, Hamilton’s voter turnout is low. During the last municipal election, 34 per cent of eligible Hamiltonians voted. Voter turnout was higher for the 2014 provincial election with 53 per cent of Hamiltonians voting and 66 per cent voting in the 2015 federal election.
This trend was echoed in the discussions of the 430 attendees at the 2017 Our Future Hamilton Summit where education was identified as the top barrier to voter turnout.
This result is validated by a Statistics Canada report that states “Among those who had not voted in the last federal election, 14 per cent of young adults aged 25 to 34 years reported that the main reason was that they were not informed on the issues.”
Staff from McMaster Centre for Continuing Education and the Hamilton Public Library attended the Our Future Hamilton Summit last November and upon hearing the results of these discussions, quickly came to the realization that together they could play a key role in overcoming one of the barriers to voter turnout by collaborating to provide more information to the community. A partnership developed and the Conversations that Matter: Civic Engagement Series was born.
Taking our lead from the six community priorities identified by the over 55,000 participants in the creation of the Our Future Hamilton — 25 Year Community Vision, we have developed a six-part speaker series to provide credible, trustworthy and easy-to-understand information for Hamiltonians, as they contemplate their choices at the polls provincially on June 7 and municipally on Oct. 22. Three speaker sessions will take place in May with the second group of three in September and October.
Beginning Wednesday, May 16, from 7 to 8.30 p.m., the series will kick off at the Central Branch of the Hamilton Public Library with the topic of “Healthy and Safe Communities,” which will include discussion about perceptions of safety, street-involved youth, and the impacts of cannabis legalization on young people.
Moderated by Katherine Kalinowski, Good Shepherd Centre’s chief operating officer, this first session will hear from a panel of experts: Ruth Greenspan, John Howard Society executive director; Loretta HillFinamore, Good Shepherd Centre’s director of youth services, and Dr. James MacKillop, Peter Boris Centre for Addictions research director, McMaster University.
The topic on Wednesday, May 23, is “Economic Prosperity and Growth” featuring moderator Keanin Loomis, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, and speakers Lucas Gordon of RedReach and The Forge, McMaster University, Dr. Atif Kubursi, McMaster University professor emeritus of economics, and Judy Travis, Workforce Planning Hamilton executive director.
And rounding out the series on Wednesday, May 30, is “Built Environment and Infrastructure” with information from moderator Sandi Stride, executive director of the Centre for Climate Change Management, Mohawk College, and speakers Dr. Jim Dunn, professor and chair, Department of Health, Aging and Society, McMaster University; Dr. Amanda Grenier, director, Gilbrea Centre for Studies in Aging, McMaster University; and Brian Hollingworth, the new director of transportation planning and parking, City of Hamilton.
Citizens have asked for non-partisan information ahead of elections to better make their voting decisions. It is our intention to meet this need.
For those who are unable to attend the sessions in person, the discussion will also be live streaming from McMaster Centre for Continuing Education’s Facebook page.
Elections Ontario information will be available at each session.
All sessions are free; no registration is required. The May sessions will be held at the Central Branch of the Hamilton Public Library (55 York St.). To find out more, visit McMasterCCE.ca/civic.