COMING: Free public forums! Go vote! Toronto/London

[Oscar]

COMING EVENT: Free public forums! Go vote! Democracy town halls come to Toronto and London

[ http://canadians.org/media/go-vote-demo ... and-london ]

Media Release June 15, 2015

OTTAWA – With a federal election due to happen this fall, there is a lot of time to prepare and get informed. However, the changes brought about by the new Fair Elections Act could prevent hundreds of thousands of people from voting, maybe even you. Will the Harper government be relying upon the fact that youth and cultural communities in Canada tend to vote less? To counter the voter suppression written into law by the “Fair” Elections Act as well as the decline in voter turnout, the Time for Change forum in Toronto on June 18 (London, June 22) will discuss solutions, strategies and even some surprises.

The Council of Canadians has teamed up with the Public Service Alliance of Canada, Unifor, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, and the Directors Guild of Canada to host a series of public forums across the country with one message: Go vote!

"This is a watershed election that could be a real fork in the road for Canadians," said Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. "After nine years of job losses, health care privatization, falling wages, environmental neglect, and austerity, it's time for change. But that will only happen if we get out and vote for it."

As part of the tour, [ http://canadians.org/govote2015 ] Canadians are urged to take a Voter's Pledge where they can commit to vote in the next election and encourage at least two others to do the same. [ http://canadians.org/blog/take-voter-pledge ]

Come see what citizens in Vancouver, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Bridgewater, Moncton, and Scarborough have already learnt:


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . if you want change, you have to vote for it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .



TORONTO: Thursday, June 18, 7 pm
OISE Auditorium, 252 Bloor St W

Free tickets at [ time4change-toronto.eventbrite.ca ]
[ http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/time-for-cha ... 7138498711 ]

• Maude Barlow, National Chairperson, Council of Canadians
• Jerry Dias, National President, Unifor
• Jim Stanford, Author, Economist & Founder, Progressive Economics Forum
• Ritika Goel, Family physician & health justice activist
• Michael Blais, President and Founder, Canadian Veterans Advocacy
• Annie Bradley, Award winning film and television director

The public forum will be followed by a hands-on workshop on how to increase voter turnout, followed by door canvassing in a local riding:

DOOR-TO-DOOR DEMOCRACY: CANVASSING WORKSHOP
Saturday, June 20, 11:30 am
United Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil St.

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LONDON, ON: Monday, June 22, 7 pm
Wolf Performance Hall at London Central Library

Free tickets at [ time4change-london.eventbrite.ca ]
[ http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/time-for-cha ... 7138498711 ]

• Maude Barlow, National Chairperson, Council of Canadians
• Hassan Yussuff, President, Canadian Labour Congress
• Jim Stanford Author, Economist and Founder, Progressive Economics Forum
• David Heap, Organizer, Londoners for Door to Door
• Debi Daviau, President, Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
• Colonel Pat Stogran (ret’d), Former Veterans' Ombudsman
• Brigette DePape, (Moderator) Youth Vote Campaigner, Council of Canadians

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Maude Barlow and the speakers are available for interviews.

For more details, go to: [ http://www.canadians.org/govote2015 ]