Conversations that matter to voters

Hamilton groups invite voters to educate themselves on election issues before Oct. 21

As uncertain facts and “fake news” continue to dominate world headlines, Hamilton residents have asked for non-partisan information to make informed voting decisions ahead of elections. This October, McMaster University Centre for Continuing Education, the Hamilton Public Library and the City of Hamilton will again present a speaker series focused on voter education and dialogue.

The series coincides with Canada’s upcoming federal election when Hamiltonians head to the polls on Oct. 21 to elect a new government.

While voter turnout is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy, election after election, voter turnout remains low. During the past federal election, only 66 per cent of eligible Hamiltonians voted.

A Statistics Canada report points out the following: “Among those who had not voted in the past federal election, 14 per cent of young adults age 25 to 34 reported the main reason was due to a lack of information on the issues” (Turcotte, 2015). Likewise, a significant number of attendees at the 2017 Our Future Hamilton Summit identified voter education as the top barrier to voter turnout. Many attendees said they did not know enough about the issues — or about party platforms — to make informed decisions on voting day.

Following the 2017 Our Future Hamilton Summit, McMaster Centre for Continuing Education, the Hamilton Public Library and the City of Hamilton decided to collaborate to address one of the major barriers to voter turnout, namely, education.

A partnership developed and the Conversations that Matter: Civic Engagement Speaker Series was born.

Since then, the team has developed an annual speaker series to provide credible, trustworthy and easy-to-understand information to help Hamiltonians make informed choices at the polls.

During the 2018 spring Conversations that Matter series, more than 150 people attended the sessions and an additional 3,693 watched the panels online through Facebook. The provincial election was a heated one in Ontario and had the strongest voter turnout in almost 20 years, with 58 per cent of Ontarians voting — an increase of seven per cent from 2014.

Ahead of the municipal election, the 2018 fall series included moderated discussions on community engagement and inclusion, environmental sustainability, as well as culture and heritage in the city. The series attracted over 100 attendees and 1,568 online listeners. Municipal elections in Hamilton traditionally attract lower voter turnout than federal and provincial elections. With 38.4 per cent of the city’s voters participating in the 2018 municipal election, voter turnout increased by five percentage points.

To help voters prepare for the Oct. 21 federal election, two panels are being organized. The first is called Canada’s Environment: From National Policy to Local Impact and will occur on Wednesday, Oct. 2. The second panel is titled Canada’s Rich and Diverse Cultural Fabric and will be offered on Wednesday, Oct. 9.

The Oct. 2 session will be held at McMaster Centre for Continuing Education, 1 James St. N. (Jackson Square), 2nd floor. It will be moderated by McMaster Professor of Biology Dr. Jim Quinn. Panellists include Dr. Myles Sgt., clinical professor at McMaster University and founding medical director of the Shelter Health Network of Hamilton and co-founder of Trees for Hamilton; Chris McLaughlin from the Bay Area Restoration Council; and Jessica Kaknivicius, vice-president community engagement, Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

Canada’s cultural diversity will be explored on Oct. 9 at Hamilton Public Library’s Central Branch, 4th floor. Hamiltonians are invited to learn about the challenges, benefits and opportunities of diversity. This session will be moderated by Dr. Gary Warner, McMaster professor (retired) and social rights champion. Panellists include Dr. Sarah Wayland, senior project manager, Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council; Suad Badri, ESL instructor and newcomer to Hamilton; Shylo Elmayan, director of Indigenous student services, McMaster University; and Dr. Rama Singh, professor of biology, McMaster University, and founder of the Mahatma Ghandi Peace Festival in Hamilton.

When Hamiltonians and other Canadians are engaged in informed dialogue, we ensure that our elected leaders best represent our collective interests — from a federal policy level to actions in our own backyard.

For those unable to attend the sessions, they will be available through live streaming from McMaster Centre for Continuing Education’s Facebook page. All sessions are free. Pre-registration is recommended but not required. To learn more, visit https://mcmastercce.ca/civic