EVERY VOTE COUNTS

An Elections Canada outreach specialist helps the homeless exercise their democratic right,

Raymond May Burgess

Ray Burgess has volunteered at the Good Neighbours’ Club since he got off the streets 17 years ago. He says he’ll probably vote for Harper. “Because the others, I don’t know anything about them. For me to judge somebody, to vote for somebody, I got to meet them.” He wants to see better housing programs, employment and services for low-income people, like himself, but politicians don’t visit his parts, he says. “None of them come around here and talk to poor people — not the local MP, no one.”

Joseph Kavanagh

Joseph Kavanagh-compares Harper to a dictator and longs for a time when the late Liberal prime minister Pierre Trudeau led the country. Kavanagh says he trusts Trudeau’s son, Justin. “Trudeau’s a good man; he’s got a good platform. He don’t owe any allegiance to anybody or any favours.” Kavanagh has strong opinions and would like to convey them in the form of a vote, but isn’t sure where or when to do so. “How am I supposed to know if I’m on the list or not?”

Kevin Robinson

Kevin Robinson is “Scottish, Irish and Cree Native — now, that makes me Canadian.” He is also in a transitional home and would like to exercise his right to vote, but isn’t sure how. “I saw a friend of mine go vote yesterday, so I was thinking, I don’t have enough identification to go vote — I’m lacking.” Standing outside the Good Neighbours’ Club on Jarvis St., Robinson said he’d like to see a change in government and would vote for “anybody but Harper.”

Micheal Retford

Micheal Retford has always voted — no matter the situation he’s in. He used to have his own residence, but now lives at the Dixon Hall-Schoolhouse shelter on George St. and uses the Good Neighbours Club as his address. This year, he is using Elections Canada’s new confirmation of residence forms. He said he knows who he’s voting for. “I’d like to see Stephen Harper stay the long battle. But what I’d like is to see the government give us guys more services.”

Vince Schifano

Vince Schifano has voted “two, maybe three times in 53 years,” he says. He doesn’t vote because he doesn’t feel targeted by political campaigning. “I don’t believe my vote counts,” he said on Thanksgiving Monday in Moss Park, across the street from the Maxwell Meighen Centre shelter, where he lives on Sherbourne St. But he hopes to see a Liberal government after Monday. Housing is an issue he’d like to see dealt with. “I can’t live anywhere,” he said. He receives social assistance, but says it’s not enough.