This past fall, we ran seven parallel election programs. The Student Votes held in Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, Manitoba, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Yukon and Saskatchewan, combined with last spring’s Federal Election, gave Student Vote its best year yet.

In Ontario alone, nearly 370,000 students from 2,289 schools cast ballots. The Ontario Student Vote was a great success, and we have recently released a new video, “Student Vote Ontario 2011,” that discusses our dedicated team, last spring’s Democracy Bootcamp event for Ontario teachers, our completely accessible online and print resources for primary, elementary and secondary classrooms, our partnership with the popular Bitstrips program, the dedicated Ontario election website, and some of our amazing Team Leaders who bring the program to life in Schools across the province.

Most importantly, the video highlights the incredible accomplishment of getting students from more than half the schools in Ontario to vote for their leaders. In an election where adult voter turnout dipped below 50%, the Student Vote program provided good reason to feel optimistic about the future of Canadian democracy.

We have also released a video from a school visit we did during the Ontario campaign last year. We visited a Grade 5 class and asked them what they thought about politics, democracy and voting. The ten-year-old students provide some unique – and inspiring – answers in what has been described as “the cutest Student Vote video ever.”

You can find the full results of the Ontario Student Vote here.

For more of our videos, visit our YouTube Channel.

Dan

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The population across Canada is constantly changing. We have an influx of new Canadians every year, both through birth and immigration, which increases our country’s population. Subsequently, the number of individuals that each MP, MPP or MLA represents also increases. This is one factor that eventually leads to a redistribution of electoral divisions and possibly the creation of new ones.

On July 31, 2009, Alberta appointed an Electoral Boundaries Commission to review the existing electoral boundaries and make proposals to the Legislative Assembly about redistribution. This review was done to ensure that Albertans have effective representation in the Legislative Assembly.

After a process that included public hearings and various phases of reporting, the Commission recommended increasing the electoral divisions in Alberta by four, to a new total of 87 electoral divisions. Each of the 87 divisions will have a population of approximately 40,880, with a few exceptions. Along with the four new divisions, some existing divisions will have their boundaries shifted or names changed. For example, a tribute is paid to former Premier Ralph Klein in the naming of a new electoral division, Calgary-Klein.

The accepted changes proposed by the Commission will be effective in the next provincial election, which will take place between March 1^st and May 31^st of 2012.

You can view maps of the new electoral divisions on Elections Alberta’s web site.

You can find out what electoral division you live in by typing in your postal code or street address in Elections Alberta’s Who’s My MLA? tool online. It will give you the name of your current electoral division, current MLA, and new 2012 electoral division (if there is any change).

Elections Canada is about to undergo a similar redistribution process at the Federal level. It will begin on February 8.

Katie

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There are a number of important elections coming up in Canada in 2012. Federally, Canada will be holding a by-election sometime this year to fill a vacant seat in the House of Commons. The by-election date will be announced no later than February 26^th 2012 and will be scheduled by Governor General David Johnson on the advice of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The seat became vacant on August 22^nd 2011 in the riding of Toronto-Danforth, a result of the death of NDP leader Jack Layton. The NDP will also elect a new leader in Toronto on March 24th.

Alberta is the only province preparing for a general election. The 28^th general election is set to take place on a unknown date somewhere between March 1^st to May 31^st. Premier Alison Redford announced her plans to wait until the budget is passed before setting the date, therefore the elections will most likely be carried out late April or early May. More information about the date for Alberta’s election can be found in Student Vote’s blog Alberta Election to follow passing of provincial budget . The last provincial election in Alberta was held on March 3^rd, 2008 to elect the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. In that election, Progressive Conservative leader Ed Stelmach was re-elected as Premier with a 53% majority.

Municipalities across the country will be heading to the polls on various dates this year. On Monday November 5^th, 63 Prince Edward Island municipalities will hold elections. Charlottetown, Summerside, Cornwall and Stratford hold their municipal elections every three years and will not vote until 2014.

Saskatchewan will be holding two municipal elections in 2012; urban and odd-number municipal elections. Municipalities in Saskatchewan are divided into three main categories; the urban municipalities, the odd number municipalities and the even number municipalities. These divisions have elections on various dates and at various intervals. The urban municipalities have elections every three years while the odd and even number municipalities have elections every two years. The election date for urban municipalities is October 24^th while the date for odd-number municipalities is July 28th.

Nova Scotia will hold municipal elections on October 20^th, 2012 whileNew Brunswick cities vote on May 14th. The Northwest Territories and the Yukon both vote on October 15th and December 10th. Nunavut, and Quebec could potentially vote provincially and territorially, respectively, in 2012 as well.

After a year full of elections in 2011, will it be difficult for citizens to stay engaged in politics in 2012? What upcoming election do you think will be most interesting?

Stefanie (University of Toronto POL 491 Co-op Student)

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Last year was undoubtedly a defining year for women in Canadian politics. The 2011 federal election witnessed a historic victory for the Green Party, and was an especially memorable election for Elizabeth May, who became the first elected Green Party member to sit on Parliament Hill. Last year’s federal election also saw a record high of 76 women MPs being elected to the House of Commons, a notable increase from the 69 elected in 2008.

There were some noteworthy achievements for women in the realm of provincial politics as well. Out of the four Canadian female premiers, three won leadership in this past year. These include Kathy Dunderdale of Newfoundland and Labrador, Christy Clark of British Columbia, and Alison Redford of Alberta. Additionally, Eva Aariak has been Premier of Nunavut since 2008.

In light of the upcoming Alberta provincial election scheduled for this spring, we will focus our spotlight on the fierce race between PC party leader and incumbent Premier Redford and her closest competitor, Danielle Smith. Ms. Redford’s successful campaign victory last October was historic with her being named as the first woman Premier in the province of Alberta. However, she faces strong competition from Wildrose Party leader Danielle Smith. It will be interesting to see how this race unfolds, especially as in a fascinating turn of events; it is woman against woman this time.

These are all noteworthy achievements for women in the Canadian political front, but we must also ask if this is enough. A recent CBC article shows Canada lags behind countries like Burundi and Guyana when it comes to gender parity in politics. Prior to last fall’s Ontario provincial election, Student Vote wrote about the disappointing number of female candidates running for office. Evidently, there is still a lot of work to be done. Hopefully, present events are a sign of bright prospects for women in Canadian politics.

Should Canada implement a more aggressive strategy to reach gender parity in politics, or should we let the status quo run its course?  

Natasha (University of Toronto POL 491 Co-op Student)

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An already heated debate in Canada has been gathering more steam in recent weeks over the fate of two projects intended to enhance the exportability of oil from Alberta’s oil sands. Two pipelines, the Northern Gateway and Keystone XL, proposed by Enbridge Inc. and TransCanada Pipelines, respectively, have placed environmentalist groups like Greenpeace and many First Nations groups at odds with the two companies and the Canadian and Albertan governments. The Federal and Albertan governments support the projects based on hopes of increasing trade and economic development.

 

The Keystone XL pipeline, proposed in February 2005, is slated to extend the already existing Keystone pipeline from Hardisty, Alberta to Houston and Port Arthur, Texas, where the oil could be more easily shipped to US markets. The extension would include 700km of pipeline bringing the total length of the entire Keystone project to over 2000km at a cost of $7 billion. The extension would allow for greater volumes of oil to be exported to the US but the Obama administration has expressed concern over the environmental impacts of the pipeline’s planned route and on Jan. 18^th, rejected TransCanada’s proposal. It stated, however, that it would consider other routes.

The Northern Gateway pipeline, proposed in the mid-2000s, is to run 1,172km from Edmonton to Kitimat, B.C. where the oil could be more easily shipped to Asian markets. The new pipeline would cost $5.5 billion and create 104 new permanent jobs as well as 3000 temporary construction jobs. The Canadian and Albertan governments have also stated that it is a key step in building new markets forCanada’s resources.  The economic benefits are being challenged by a number of affected First Nations groups who expressed concerns at public hearings in Edmonton over the impact of the pipeline running through their communities. They are particularly concerned over its impact on their ability to engage in traditional activities like hunting and fishing.

At the moment, both projects are on hold due to the US rejection of the Keystone expansion and the ongoing public hearings with respect to the Northern Gateway. If the past few weeks are any indication, the fate of the projects will continue to be a heated debate and could factor into the upcoming elections in Alberta and British Columbia.

Derek (University of Toronto POL 491 Co-op Student)

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The Toronto Star reports that Scottish leader Alex Salmond has proposed allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in the nation’s upcoming independence referendum. Scotland is exploring the notion of separating from Great Britain, and plans to hold the vote late in 2014. Scotland united with England to form the United Kingdom in 1707.

Tentatively, the ballot will ask “Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?” but may expand to ask if Scotland should instead opt for “increased autonomy short of full independence.”

Because this is a controversial issue with many consequences for the nation’s future, Salmond feels that the voting age should be lowered from 18 for the vote. According to Salmond, “if a 16-year-old in Scotland can register to join the army, get married and pay taxes, surely he or she should be able to have a say in this country’s constitutional future?”

Details of the referendum are far from being finalized, and still have to be approved by the British government. According to polls, only about a third of Scots are currently in favour of separating from Great Britain.

Additionally, British Prime Minister David Cameron feels that all Britons – not just the Scottish – should get a say on the future of the United Kingdom as the economic impact of a separation would affect everyone. Cameron made no comment on the issue of underage voting.

It is also not clear whether this extension of voting rights would apply to all elections, or just the referendum. Saying that some elections are more important than others and deserve the inclusion of additional voters could send the wrong message that all other elections are not worth taking part in. However, making the first election that youth take part in vital to the future of the country could inspire a lifelong interest in the political process.

Do you think that exceptions should be made to let under-age voters in specific elections? Should those over the age of 16 be allowed to vote in all elections?

To learn more about the Scottish referendum, and Canadian involvement, read this article from Maclean’s.

Dan

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Alberta’s most recent election was held on March 3^rd, 2008. The election was called after Progressive Conservative leader Ed Stelmach advised the Lieutenant Governor Norman Kwong to dissolve the legislature on February 4^th, 2008.

The election resulted in the PC forming a majority government with 53% of all votes cast. As a result, they obtained a total of 72 seats; this is 2 seats fewer than their majority in 2001. Stelmach assumed the position of Premier of Alberta, winning his first election with a majority.

The Liberal Party, led by Kevin Taft, was the official opposition with 26.4% of the total votes cast. This amount of votes only afforded them 9 seats in the legislative assembly under the first-past-the-post system. The Liberals lost 7 seats as well as their electoral support in Edmonton.

 

The voter turnout rate for the 2008 election was 40.6%, a record low for Alberta. This raises an important question: how democratic an electoral system if a government is formed with only 40% of the total electorate’s votes?

However, the low voter turnout rate could have been the result of voters being satisfied with the government. When there are no major policy disputes in a province during elections, is it acceptable for citizens to avoid the polls?

Stefanie (University of Toronto POL 491 Co-op Student)

To register for the 2012 Alberta Student Vote, visit www.studentvote.ca/ab2011 or call us toll free to speak to a member of our team: 1-866-488-8775.

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Last week, there was much debate over whether politicians, like Thomas Mulcair, should have to give up any dual citizenship they may have in order to fully serve their country.

According to a CBC News Saskatchewan story, Regina City Council has proposed mandatory criminal record checks for local election candidates. If approved, the new rule could take effect before the city’s October 24^th, 2012 municipal elections. All Saskatchewan municipalities will also go to the polls this year.

The motion received endorsement from the executive committee on January 18^th, but now has to be approved by the city council. The city administration does not endorse the change, and the Saskatchewan Association of City Clerks notes that “It is not clear what benefit collecting this information would have on the election process and therefore it is not being recommended to council.”

What is also not clear what the potential penalty would be for a candidate found to have a criminal past. In Canada, federal inmates are allowed to vote and there is no legal precedent for making those with criminal records unable to run for office.

The public has the right to know as much as possible about their politicians. However, any candidate with a serious criminal past would likely have it exposed by an opponent over the course of a campaign. This is evidenced by the fact that no Canadian politician (or candidate) who has committed a crime has gone on to win a subsequent election.

Additionally, qualified candidates with past legal problems could be discouraged from running for office and potentially improving their communities. With voter turnout and civic engagement already reaching record lows, what benefit could there be in exposing more negative aspects about the democratic process?

What do you think: Should political candidates have to undergo criminal record checks before they can run for office?

Dan

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Over the past several weeks, Samara has been taking nominations for the Best Democratic Moment of 2011. They have now narrowed their list down to the top five:

• The Occupy Movement: According to Samara, “by insisting on a right to speak and to use public space, Canadians showed their interest in engaging with the big questions of our country.” We visited the Occupy Movement last November; click here to read about our experience.

• Canada’s Women Premiers: When the Premiers met last week, there were an unprecedented number of women premiers present. Nunavut’s Eva Aariak, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Kathy Dunderdale, British Columbia’s Christy Clark, and Alberta’s Alison Redford joined their male counterparts to discuss health care.

• Youth Engagement: Despite overall civic disengagement, young Canadians had a large political role last year. In our most successful year yet, nearly 1 million students cast Student Vote ballots in the eight parallel election programs we held last year! As well, “Vote Mobs” swept across university campuses and Canada’s youngest-ever MP (19-year-old Pierre-Luc Dusseault) was elected.

• Jack Layton: Layton, “a beloved public figure and a champion of the political process,” passed away from Cancer in August only month after leading his NDP to unprecedented electoral success on the federal level. Canada united to mourn the loss of a great member of our society.

• The May 2011 Federal Election: This election brought “major change to Ottawa.” Stephen Harper’s Conservatives won their first majority, the NDP rose to Opposition status, and the Liberals and Bloc were relegated after losing many seats.

Which do you think was the Best Democratic Moment of 2011? You can vote here for your choice until January 31^st.

Although they did not receive enough votes to crack the top five, Samara also gives honourable mentions to Brigette DePape’s House of Commons protest, the announced phase-out of the per-vote subsidy, the “respectful debate” in Parliament on the creation of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, and the non-partisan process that led to the awarding of ship building contracts.

We are very proud of our accomplishments last year. If you chose to vote for Youth Engagement, we would appreciate it!

The Student Vote Team

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Jayme Poisson’s article in the Toronto Star recounts former Canadian Prime Minister John Turner’s visit to Holy Name of Mary College School in Mississauga yesterday. Turner, now 82, became Prime Minister in 1984 after the retirement of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Previously, Turner had served as the justice minister and oversaw many criminal code reforms.

Turner fielded many questions from the elementary students. According to Poisson, it is rare to see former or current politicians visiting local schools. Before last October’s provincial election, Green Party candidate Robin McKim visited Warden Avenue Public School in Toronto and Welland’s Notre Dame College School held an all-candidate’s meeting.

At Holy Name of Mary, the former Prime Minister faced questions like “What made you run for Prime Minister?” and “What was it like to follow Pierre Trudeau as Prime Minister?” “Those were some damn good questions,” quipped Turner.

Turner encouraged the students to enter politics, saying “the country needs more young people and women in public life.” “Democracy does not happen by accident,” he told students. “We’re getting too self satisfied in Canada. Let’s get off our butts.”

We agree with Turner. Democratic reform, especially in terms of civic engagement and voter turnout, does not happen “by accident.” Through initiatives like CIVIX and the Student Vote program, we try to engage young Canadians in the democratic process. We conducted 8 parallel elections last year (one federal, and seven provincial and territorial). In total, Canadian youth cast more than 950,000 Student Vote ballots in 2011.

As students learn about political and the electoral system, we hope they will take Mr. Turner’s advice and become involved in their community, their province, and their country. We live in a great country, but there is always room for improvement.

Dan

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← Older posts

Alberta News

Alberta’s New Electoral Divisions: Are you Affected?

Women and Canadian Politics: Does more need to be done to achieve gender parity?

The Keystone XL and Northern Gateway Pipelines: A Primer

An Overview of the 2008 Alberta Provincial Election

Alberta Election to Follow Passing of Provincial Budget: Election to Likely fall in April or May

Alberta 2012: Is the Province headed for an April Election?

The end of the Fall Session: Three New Laws Approved as Election Looms in Alberta

Student Vote Alberta 2012: Register Now!

The Fall Session Resumes and Election Issues Emerge in Alberta

Alberta Update: Preparing for a Spring Election

Latest News

New Videos from the Ontario Student Vote

2012 Elections: Which will you be following?

16- and 17-year-olds could Vote in Scottish Referendum

Should Political Candidates have to undergo Criminal Record Checks?

What was the Best Democratic Moment of 2011?

“Democracy doesn’t happen by accident:” Former PM John Turner visits Mississauga School

Forum for Young Canadians

Does Dual-Citizenship mean Divided Loyalties?

Canadian Premiers gather to discuss Health Care

Parry Sound student Confronts Federal Minister on Twitter: Our Interview with Keith Pettinger