Burlington Covered by Three Ridings in Upcoming Federal Election
Did you know that the City of Burlington is covered by three federal ridings in the upcoming election on Oct. 21? The three ridings are Burlington, Oakville North-Burlington and Milton ((part of rural Burlington is in this riding).Here is a map from Elections Canada on the ridings that include our City — Federal ridings in Burlington.Most of you know how strongly I feel about each of us using our voice and making the time to vote in every election, whether municipal, provincial or federal. We all have a responsibility to engage in the process and put our support behind the candidate who best reflects our own values and priorities. There is no wrong vote. When you take the time to understand the platforms of each candidate and vote for the one who will work on the issues and initiatives that matter to you, we all win. That’s democracy at its finest!Who are the candidates?I invite you to explore the candidates in your own riding and educate yourself on what they will prioritize, and how they will deliver for you and our city. Information on Burlington’s candidates is nicely summarized in this recent article, information on the Oakville-North Burlington’s candidates can be found here, and the Milton riding candidates can be found here.Candidates' debates (This information will be updated if/when my office receives information on any upcoming debates - if you know of any, please contact my Media and Digital Communications Specialist John Bkila at john.bkila@burlington.ca)
- Tonight (Tuesday, Oct. 1) — Oakville North-Burlington and Oakville candidates — hosted by Oakville Chamber of Commerce — Theatre Sheridan, 1430 Trafalgar Rd., Oakville, MacDonald-Heaslip Hall — Doors open at 5:30 p.m. / Oakville North-Burlington debate runs from 7:45-9 p.m.
- Thursday, Oct. 3 — while this debate, hosted by BurlingtonGreen, is currently sold out, you can watch a live stream on Facebook (visit BurlingtonGreen.org for more details) and you can read the responses from Burlington riding candidates to 8 questions posed by the local environmental group by clicking the link. As well, you will find contact information for BurlingtonGreen to find out if any current ticket holders to the event are no longer able to attend.
- Tuesday, Oct. 8 — Open Doors hosting Eat Think Vote event where residents will be able to have a dialogue with federal election candidates — 6-7:30 p.m. — St. Christopher's Anglican Church, 662 Guelph Line.
- Thursday, Oct. 10 — moderated Q-and-A with Burlington candidates — hosted by Burlington Chamber of Commerce — Holiday Inn Burlington, 3063 South Service Rd., Burlington — 7:30 a.m. breakfast and registration, followed by opening remarks at 8 a.m.
Engaged Citizens of Burlington (ECOB) is releasing a series of videos with Burlington's federal candidates answering questions on a variety of local issues. They have so far published three of eight videos, click this link to view them on YouTube.On Monday, Oct. 7, InsideHalton.com will join media organizations across Canada in live-streaming the federal party leaders' English-language debate in the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que. The debate runs from 7-9 p.m.Are you registered to vote?You can check if you are registered to vote on the Elections Canada website — and if you are not, and eligible to vote, I recommend doing so.Advanced polling datesElection day is Monday, Oct. 21, but residents can also vote at advanced assigned polling stations from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on:
- Friday, Oct. 11;
- Saturday, Oct. 12;
- Sunday, Oct. 13; and
- Monday, Oct. 14.
To find your advance polling station, check your voter information card or use the Voter Information Service on the Elections Canada website.If you are registered, you should receive a voter information card in the mail by this Friday (Oct. 4). If you don’t get a card by this date, you may not be registered, or your voter information may not be up to date. Use the Online Voter Registration Service, contact your local Elections Canada office or call Elections Canada at 1-800-463-6868 to check and update your information.MY TAKE:I do not endorse any candidate or political party, but I am meeting with as many of our local candidates running in our three ridings as I can to advance Burlington's interests, ensure they are aware of the top concerns, feedback and ideas that I have heard from constituents since becoming your Mayor. In addition, I am also reflecting to the candidates the priorities of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), some of which include predictable infrastructure funding, affordable housing help, building better public transit and protecting Canadians from climate change. FCM is also reviewing all platforms of each party to determine how they align with its advocacy requests.RELATED LINKS: