Following election day on October 24, Hamilton welcomes Andrea Horwath as its new mayor and incumbent Maureen Wilson is re-elected as Ward 1 city councillor
Over one hundred thousand Hamilton residents cast their votes in Hamilton’s municipal election, which concluded on Oct. 24. Following election day, former Ontario New Democratic Party leader Andrea Horwath was announced as Hamilton’s new mayor, capturing 41.68 per cent of the vote.
Horwath’s leadership marks a milestone for Hamilton — she will be the city’s first female mayor.
Horwath’s leadership marks a milestone for Hamilton — she will be the city’s first female mayor.
The race was close between Horwath and Keanin Loomis, former CEO of Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. Horwath emerged just under two thousand votes ahead of Loomis, who captured 40.51 per cent of the vote.
Bob Bratina, a former mayor of Hamilton, came third in the mayoral race with 12.27 per cent of the vote.
“Hamilton is my pride and my inspiration. I could not have asked for a better hometown. And there are so many people who poured their hearts into making our city even greater. I am filled with gratitude,” tweeted Horwath on Oct. 24, following her election.
“Hamilton is my pride and my inspiration. I could not have asked for a better hometown. And there are so many people who poured their hearts into making our city even greater. I am filled with gratitude.”
Andrea horwath, mayor of hamilton
Horwath’s platform throughout her campaign addressed many key issues affecting Hamilton residents, such as transportation, housing and trust between city hall and the public.
Along with electing a new mayor, Hamilton residents also voted for their city councillors. In Ward 1, over eight thousand residents cast their ballots and incumbent Maureen Wilson won the seat with 74.96 per cent of the vote.
In Ward 1, over eight thousand residents cast their ballots and incumbent Maureen Wilson won the seat with 74.96 per cent of the vote.
Ian MacPherson received 15.72 per cent of the votes and John Vail received 9.32 per cent of the votes.
Wilson addressed Ward 1 residents in a long Twitter thread on October 25.
In this thread, she expressed her appreciation for residents of Ward 1 and her desire to address their concerns. She also thanked her opponent, Ian MacPherson, for his community contributions and for his campaign.
A precise breakdown of the election results can be found on the City of Hamilton website.
PHOTO C/O Arnaud Jaegers
An overview of the current state of Canada’s political parties
By: Max Cornblum, Contributor
On Sept. 20, 2021, Canadians across the country voted in an early federal election called by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Results of the election formed another minority government under the Liberal party, leaving Canadians to wonder what the future of the government would look like in the face of a new, but almost identical, parliament.
Liberal Party
After winning 159 seats and maintaining their minority government, many now-former members of parliament have lost their pensions. Pensions are awarded after six years of being seated in parliament and this election was called just over two months before some of those pensions would have vested.
Filomena Tassi, Member of Parliament for the Hamilton West, Ancaster and Dundas constituency, stands by the Liberal government’s decision to call a snap election.
Tassi believes that the party’s win proves Canadians agree with what the party has been doing and what they plan to do moving forward.
“The Canadians have accepted the mandate and that they agree with the way that we have navigated through COVID-19 and they say that they agree with our plan moving forward with regards to [future plans in things] such as environment, childcare and housing,” said Tassi.
Tassi added that she doesn’t see the snap election as a waste of money, but rather as a mandate from Canadians to have either voice heard.
“It is important that as we move forward, we are listening to Canadians, and this was the opportunity for Canadians to have their say with respect to what we have invested in,” explained Tassi.
“It is important that as we move forward, we are listening to Canadians, and this was the opportunity for Canadians to have their say with respect to what we have invested in.”
Filomena Tassi, Member of Parliament for Hamilton West, Ancaster & Dundas Constituency
Justin Trudeau currently remains the leader of the party. However, following public outrage regarding Trudeau’s decision to call the snap election, it remains to be seen as to whether the Liberal party is still committed to the Trudeau name.
Conservative Party
As the Conservative Party’s leader, Erin O’Toole’s platform let the voters know that he was pro-2SLGBTQIA+ and pro-abortion. He also supported a federal carbon tax, which was unheard of for a conservative leader.
However, the Conservative Party’s turn towards the centre with a more moderate leader such as O’Toole didn’t make up any ground from the Liberals.
As a result of the snap election, the Conservative Party now holds 119 seats in the House of Commons, a loss of two seats compared to the 2019 election.
“While [the Conservative Party] didn’t get the results we had hoped for, I am proud of our team for holding the Liberals to a minority in this pandemic election,” said O’Toole.
“While [the Conservative Party] didn’t get the results we had hoped for, I am proud of our team for holding the Liberals to a minority in this pandemic election.”
Erin O'Toole, Conservative Party Leader
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party was unable to pick up a sizable amount of seats despite their overwhelmingly popular policies. The NDP now holds 25 seats in the house of commons.
Although NDP leader, Jagmeet Singh, has garnered a large amount of popularity through social media platforms such as TikTok, this did not translate to an increase in seats in the House of Commons.
The NDP will reevaluate their leadership and platform to see if they can improve their results with another leader or may decide to continue the course with Jagmeet Singh.
Jagmeet Singh remains the leader of the NDP and has stated that he’s confident he will keep that position.
Bloc Quebecois Party
The Bloc Quebecois won 33 seats, short of their goal of 40 seats. As is the case with other parties, the Bloc Quebecois won a similar number of seats as the 2019 election where they won 32 seats.
Yves-François Blanchet, leader of the party, criticized Trudeau for calling the election.
“We almost feel like saying ‘All of that for this’,” said Blanchet.
“We almost feel like saying ‘All of that for this’.”
Yves-François Blanchet, Leader of the Bloc Quebecois
Green Party
After losing a Member of Parliament to the Liberals because of an internal party dispute about the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Green Party received far fewer votes than in 2019 and won two seats.
Despite climate change being a top priority for voters, the party dedicated to the climate lost ground and credibility with voters.
In her own riding in Toronto Centre, the previous leader of the Green Party, Annamie Paul, was unable to win her seat as well. Even before the election, her standing within the party was already in tatters.
Paul has now resigned and the Green party will begin its search for a new leader.
With only two seats in the House of Commons after this election, the Green Party does not meet the requirement of at least 12 seats to be deemed a recognized party for parliamentary proceedings.
People’s Party
While the People’s Party of Canada was able to increase its share of the popular vote, it remained unable to make any ground and won zero seats.
PPC leader, Maxime Bernier, also lost in his own riding in Beauce.
While the rise of right-wing populism has given great success to parties around the world, it appears that the ideology shared by these parties is not welcomed by enough Canadians to make this party feasible.
After an election that didn’t change the political landscape, every party is left to reflect on what happened in their campaign. Every party must reevaluate its strategies and come prepared for the next election either in 2025 or earlier.
By Donna Nadeem, Staff Writer
American students studying at McMaster were given the opportunity to vote in the 2020 United States Democratic Party presidential primaries on March 5, 2020. McMaster’s chapter of Democrats Abroad facilitated voting, which took place between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the third floor of the McMaster University Student Centre. Democrats Abroad is an organization that gives Americans who live outside the U.S. a chance to vote in U.S. elections.
On March 5, voters only needed to type in their information on their computer and, after receiving their ballot, they should follow the instructions and return the ballot before the deadline.
On March 5, voters only needed to type in their information on their computer and, after receiving their ballot, they should follow the instructions and return the ballot before the deadline.
It is estimated that 3 million Americans of voting age live overseas but only around 10,965 abroad ballots were cast in the 2016 U.S. General Election. The more votes submitted through Democrats Abroad, the greater representation they have within the Democratic National Committee. While Canada has the highest number of U.S. citizens of voting age, many McMaster students do not know about the Democrats Abroad primary. The number of people who voted through Democrats Abroad remains low.
David Mivasair, the Chair of Democrats Abroad for the Hamilton-Burlington-Niagara region, had initially decided to approach McMaster after learning of a large number of Americans that attend the university. The question Mivasair was faced with was how to reach these American students.
At Clubsfest last year, Mivasair came to McMaster to introduce a new chapter of Democrats Abroad. Around 60 students signed up for Democrats Abroad at Clubsfest, and from that list, the club was formed, executives were instated and the club was officially opened up to general members.
Aside from the voting centres, the McMaster chapter of Democrats Abroad intends on holding on-campus celebrations for American holidays such as American Thanksgiving or Fourth of July. They also wish to initiate a speaker series or present lectures discussing relevant issues in American politics.
In this way, the McMaster Chapter of Democrats Abroad also functions as a social club, providing a space for American students at McMaster to come together. There are branches of Democrats Abroad at other Canadian universities including McGill, U of T, and UBC.
"We are a social club for Americans, Canadians and international students to congregate, get together and discuss American issues that affect the whole world," said Kareem Khaled, the President of the McMaster chapter of Democrats Abroad.
"We are a social club for Americans, Canadians and international students to congregate, get together and discuss American issues that affect the whole world," said Kareem Khaled, the President of the McMaster chapter of Democrats Abroad.
The McMaster chapter of Democrats Abroad has not been ratified by the McMaster Students Union. The club attempted to get permission for the 2019-2020 school year, but were unsuccessful as the MSU believed that the club would only be relevant for the 2020 election year.
Democrats Abroad’s McMaster chapter emphasizes the importance of voting in upcoming elections. Regardless of whether students may be embarrassed by the state of U.S. politics or whether they believe dissociation is the right response, Khaled believes that student engagement is important.
“Their votes get their word out there because that's how you get a government that represents the people,” said Khaled.
"You need everybody from different backgrounds [and with] different ideas to be involved in the political process, and we're hoping to be a channel to engage the [American] people and all other [non-American] people in the world to be more involved in their country's political processes, because they affect us," said Khaled.
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Every three years, the McMaster Students Union, McMaster University and the Hamilton Street Railway negotiate a new bus pass agreement. The existing agreement, which was last voted on in 2017 and will conclude at the end of August, is coming to the end of its three year term. It now needs to be reevaluated through a referendum.
This year, McMaster’s HSR Referendum coincides with the 2020 MSU Presidential Elections, just as it did in 2014 and 2017. The 2020 HSR Referendum will determine the availability and cost of bus services offered to students for the next three years, until 2023.
Before 2014, McMaster students only had access to an eight-month bus pass, encompassing September to April of each academic year. The existing HSR agreement was first instituted in 2014 by then Vice President (Finance) Jeffrey Doucet. As a result, McMaster students are able to use their bus passes year-round. Students also pay for increased bus frequency between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. and late night service coverage until 3 a.m. on Route 51-University, which runs through Westdale, the McMaster campus and student housing near Emerson Street and Whitney Avenue.
In the 2017 HSR referendum, McMaster students voted overwhelmingly in support of continuing their deal with the HSR regarding bus passes.
On Dec. 8, 2019, current vice president (Finance) Alexandrea Johnston circulated a memo provided to the Student Representative Assembly regarding the cost breakdown of the existing HSR agreement for the next three years.
“I strongly feel that these are fair and reasonable fees for the next three years. When comparing our fees with other Universities, this is [a] deal for students that I am confident putting forward,” wrote Johnston in the memo.
The 2020 HSR referendum will follow the ranked voting system used in the MSU Presidential Elections. McMaster students will have the opportunity to choose between the following options via a ranked ballot voting system:
Cost of 2020 HSR Referendum Options
According to the MSU Elections Department’s webpage, students had the opportunity to form a campaign team to advocate for another one of the options provided in this referendum but were required to complete registration by Jan. 17. A post regarding HSR Referendum nominations was made on the MSU Elections Facebook Page on Jan. 7. Unlike the MSU Presidential Candidate nominations and Student Representative Assembly By-Elections, the post was not shared and did not receive any likes.
Voting for the 2020 HSR Referendum closes on Jan. 30 at 5 p.m.
On Sept. 26, the Canadian Union of Public Employees 3906 made history as 87 per cent of its Unit 1 members voted to authorize a strike mandate. Unit 1 represents graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants and research assistants at McMaster. This will allow for strike action, if deemed necessary.
The vote came after a series of labour negotiations between CUPE 3906 and McMaster University. Beginning in June, CUPE had presented a list of proposed changes to the collective agreement that supervises McMaster’s academic employees. The list included paid training for teaching assistants, equitable wages between undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants, an increase to the minimum number of hours on a contract, protection against tuition increases and better representation for Indigenous members.
McMaster had planned to conduct negotiations with CUPE 3906 in accordance with Bill 124, which, if passed, would nullify collective agreements and limit the annual increase of compensation and wages to one per cent. Since the bill was yet to be legally binding at the time of negotiations, CUPE 3906 disagreed with McMaster’s choice to bargain under Bill 124.
After the first reading of Bill 124, which occurred on June 5, 2019, 64 Legislative Assembly members were in favour of passing the bill and 40 members voted against it. In the end, the motion was carried forward. In order to become law, Bill 124 will need to pass additional readings.
By the beginning of September, CUPE 3906 and McMaster had failed to arrive at an agreement. When the bargaining process reached an impasse on Sept. 11, the teaching and research assistants of CUPE 3906’s Unit 1 filed for conciliation and scheduled a strike vote for Sept. 26.
According to an update from CUPE 3906, after four days of voting, a record-breaking majority voted in favour of a strike in the event that CUPE 3906 deems a strike necessary. Most of the members are unwilling to accept the conditions offered by McMaster.
CUPE 3906 represents 3,500 workers at McMaster each year. This makes it one of the largest unions in Hamilton and the largest on campus. Unit 1 alone represents about 2,700 McMaster employees, including all teaching assistants, some research assistants, markers, demonstrators and tutors.
“The bargaining team is not releasing total numbers right now … but it is by far the highest amount of people we’ve ever seen. We had more people vote ‘yes’ than have ever voted total,” said Nathan Todd, president of CUPE 3906 and a graduate student in McMaster’s philosophy department.
A statement on CUPE 3906’s website adds that the strike mandate vote illustrates the members’ commitment to the needs that the union is representing.
Despite a landmark vote, however, CUPE 3906 remains unsure as to how the timeline will look following the strike authorization. The union has not been able to return to the bargaining table; they have not been afforded the chance to change their position and they are advocating for the same changes as when negotiations first began.
At the moment, the rest of the negotiating process is in a standstill as CUPE 3906 waits for news from their provincially appointed conciliation officer. The union is aware that the conciliator has contacted McMaster but does not know how the university has responded, if at all.
“I’m not sure if [McMaster] has returned [the conciliator]’s calls or given her any updates but last I spoke with the conciliator this week, she wasn’t able to confirm any further dates … We’ve offered a number of dates this month. We’re waiting to hear back. That’s kind of holding back the timeline at this point,” said Todd.
Chantal Mancini, a PhD candidate in the department of labour studies and a delegate to the Hamilton and District Labour Council for CUPE 3906, states that McMaster has not demonstrated their support for their graduate students in this round of bargaining.
“It’s interesting that a major focus of researchers in labour studies is the increase of precarious work and the negative impact this has on the well-being of workers. Yet, in direct contrast to this research, McMaster has presented a proposal to our union that will increase the precariousness of the work that I and my Unit 1 colleagues perform,” she said.
Mancini says that the university’s proposal does not support the well-being of graduate students. She notes that although students will benefit from the priorities requested of McMaster, the university has nevertheless rejected the union’s demands.
Maybe the coolest thing while working the voting booth, was having undergrads come up and ask how they could help. Felt awesome to be supported by the whole student family. https://t.co/NEr2xyREMx
— Adam Fortais (@AdamFortais) September 27, 2019
Regardless of the administration’s silence, other bodies on campus have shown their support for CUPE 3906. The McMaster Graduate Student Association released a letter of support on Oct. 2, declaring that the GSA’s priorities align with those of CUPE 3906’s. The day after, the Department of Political Science at McMaster also announced their support for better working conditions and compensation for teaching and research assistants, hoping for a fair agreement between the union and the university.
“We’re considering reaching out to other departments as well … It seems like, in the departments we’ve spoken to, there is a good level of support,” said Mollie McGuire, vice-president of CUPE 3906.
On Oct. 6, CUPE Ontario, which represents 55,000 educators across the province, averted a strike after the provincial government made concessions in a collective agreement. This renders them the first of several unions to arrive at a deal with the Ford government since public school employee contracts expired in September. While the deal did not involve them, CUPE 3906 has stated that they stand in solidarity with CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions.
“[We are] immensely proud of their accomplishments at the bargaining table and beyond. The OBSCU, CUPE, their allies and their communities stood firm in resistance to authority politics and the devaluation of their work. Their accomplishments were possible due to the direct action by their members and their community and their success is a testament to the value of mobilization and the power of the labour movement,” said Todd.
Teaching and research assistants at McMaster are hoping for a similar accomplishment, referring to the strong strike vote mandate provided to CUPE 3906 as an indication of their resolve to seek a fair contract.
“It is my hope that McMaster has taken notice and is committed to negotiating a fair deal that reflects the value of the work we do for the university. Reaching a deal is ultimately the best outcome for everyone,” said Mancini.
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By Nicholas Marshall, Contributor
Grits. Reds. Libs. We need to talk. Let us consider Justin Trudeau’s domination in the 2015 federal elections. Here, Trudeau, the son of the heavenly father of our Constitution, descended from the lofty peaks of Canadian society to liberate our wretched souls from the clutches of Harper’s conservative austerity. I take it you were feeling pretty confident this time around. Trudeau was a media darling, beloved on the world stage and, in contrast with our neighbors to the south, a head of government that was hoping to unite our diverse population with Canada’s virtues of multiculturalism and equality.
But then, the scandals started rolling in. They began as relatively innocuous misdemeanours; his trip to India donning garb of another culture may have seemed like a substantial embarrassment, but it was only foreshadowing whats to come.
Things started to get more serious when the Liberal government approved the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline. The Trans Mountain pipeline is poised to carve a path straight through the Liberal rhetoric on climate change, and undermine every word that spilled out of Trudeau’s mouth about protecting future generations.
Nothing could have prepared us for the big fish: the SNC-Lavalin scandal was a disaster for public confidence in our prime minister. A private corporation lobbying the government to change the law in their favour so that they could escape conviction was and is an international scandal. But to also pressure and demote your attorney general and then lead a coverup inside your own cabinet demonstrates a profound lack of respect for the political process and the rule of law. In fact, according to the ethics commissioner, the sitting prime minister had broken the law. At least things couldn’t get any worse, right?
We soon learned that the prime minister was “two-faced” in more ways than one.
So, where do we go from here? Justin Trudeau has been involved in scandal after scandal, while Andrew Scheer, the Conservative party leader, is climbing in the polls. Scheer, the leader who pinky promises that his personal opinions about gay people won’t inform his policy decisions.
So what do we do?
The truth is, most people like how the Liberals brand themselves, but in practice they don’t like watching their feminist darling sell war machines to Saudi Arabia. So, perhaps it’s time to wake up to the fact that Liberals campaign themselves as New Democrats and govern themselves as Conservatives, especially when they know no one is looking.
This election, it’s time we build our image of the Liberal party based on actions and not on words. We should recognise that the policies the Liberals win on are the actual policies of the NDPs and the policies they sneak in behind our backs are Conservative.
And, we must keep in mind that when Canadians don’t have the appetite for a scandal-ridden Liberal, voting Conservative is a counterproductive exercise in masochism (see Doug Ford). When your sheep start to bite, you don’t start shearing wolves.
This election has only just begun, so now is the time to get to know your candidates and evaluate them based on what they offer you as a citizen. Take nothing at face value, and remember that these people may not be exactly what you expected. But if you give it time, I’m sure they will all reveal their true colours to you.
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By: Neda Pirouzmand
Graduating students should not have had an equal say on these decisions in comparison to returning students. As changes regarding student fees are implemented in the following academic year, graduating students will not be paying for them.
This line of reasoning can be extended to graduating students’ influence over the MSU presidential elections. The actions and views of the MSU president only become relevant during and following their transition period into office.
Chukky Ibe won the McMaster Students Union presidential election in 2017. In March of the same year, students passed a referendum to add $95 to their Athletics and Recreation Activity fee in order to build the Student Activity Building and expand the Pulse fitness area.
Last year, Ikram Farah’s winning election was accompanied by a referendum that reduced the Ontario Public Research Group’s funding at the university from $8.07 to $5.50 per student.
Josh Marando will officially take office in May. While he is currently in the process of transitioning into the role of MSU president, his responses to recent events, such as Doug Ford’s changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program, and any future implementations will directly impact incoming and returning students.
At most, graduating students may be indirectly affected by the MSU’s advocacy efforts at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. This possible indirect impact still does not warrant graduating students to have as much influence as they currently possess.
An alternate system may involve weighting votes, where graduating students’ votes are weighted less than those of returning students. The logistics of the weighting amount could be decided by the MSU.
Those against changing the voting system may state that graduating students have unique and relevant experiences that allow them to make informed votes. Additionally, as graduating students pay the full MSU fee it can be argued that they have the right to exercise their vote.
These concerns could be addressed through adjusting the weight of votes from graduating students, rather than removing their vote altogether. If necessary, this could also be coupled with lowering the MSU fee for these students.
Would reweighting graduating students’ votes have changed past elections and referenda? This information is not publicly available and therefore no concrete conclusions can be drawn.
Elections should allow for a candidate to be selected who is in agreement with the majority of the relevant student population. Thus, the influence that graduating students have in this mix should be decreased.
Following this line of reasoning, incoming first-years should have a chance to vote. Many referenda and elections cannot accommodate this due to their timing in relation to admissions.
However, in some cases, this could be accomplished through implementing appropriate communication channels between incoming students and the MSU.
If this were to be pursued, it would need to be preceded by large-scale exposure and encouragement of voting in high school students.
Once April passes, graduating students will no longer fall under the umbrella of the MSU. As such, they should not influence future MSU decisions as much as they currently do.
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By: Elliot Fung
If you are a full-time undergraduate student enrolled in at least 18 units, you are eligible to vote in this year’s McMaster Students Union presidential election. Here is some more information about the election and how you can successfully cast your ballot.
The president is the primary spokesperson for the MSU and serves as the representative for McMaster students to the university, Hamilton and the provincial and federal government.
The next MSU president will hold the position for a one-year term beginning on May 1, 2019 and ending on April 30, 2020.
The MSU president is also the chair of the board of directors of the Student Representative Assembly, which is comprised of the vice president (Finance), vice president (Administration) and vice president (Education).
This year’s election has four candidates: Madison Wesley, Jeffrey Campana, Josh Marando and Justin Lee. More information about their platforms can be found here.
The voting system will be “single transferable vote.” What this means is that, on your ballot, you will get to rank candidates in order of preference.
In particular, you will have the opportunity to rank your preference of candidate from one to four. However, you do not have to rank all candidates.
Your vote will count towards the candidate you rank first.
The candidate with a majority of total first choice votes will be the president-elect. If a majority is not achieved through the initial counting, the candidate with the least number of first-choice votes is eliminated.
However, if you voted for the eliminated candidate, your ballot still counts. Your vote will be transferred to your second-choice candidate. Votes are then recounted.
If a majority is still not achieved, the process of vote transfer is repeated until a candidate has a majority of first choice votes.
Should a candidate be disqualified or withdraw from the election after polling takes place, your vote will still count too as long as you indicated a second-choice candidate.
In this case, your vote would be transferred to your second-choice candidate.
Voting opens on Jan. 22 and closes on Jan. 24 at 5 p.m. Ballots are being sent out via email, so check your McMaster email as soon as you get the chance!
You can also vote at www.msumcmaster.ca/vote. Log in using your Mac ID and an election link will appear if you are eligible to vote.
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[spacer height="20px"]By Angela Dittrich
As young adults, we experience a lot of exciting and important milestones — getting our driver’s license, attaining legal adulthood and entering university, college or the workforce. An often overlooked milestone is becoming a voter, or rather, becoming individuals with a rarely-exercised right to vote.
McMaster University students are a vital part of the Ward 1 community, and yet we continuously fail to show up to the polling stations. And before I continue, yes, you can vote here. Not only can you vote here, you should — whether you live in residence, in a student home, or commute from another part of the city.
On October 22nd, 2018, The Municipal Elections will take place to determine the new Mayor and Ward Councillors for the Hamilton area. Get your voice heard by voting is upcoming election. #MacVotes https://t.co/Q9arEqrdc0 pic.twitter.com/kALkZgbmTw
— McMaster Humanities (@mcmasterhum) October 12, 2018
Hamilton, for better or worse, is your home for on average four years of undergrad, and potentially beyond. Electoral issues such as housing, transit, and safety affect every one of us on a daily basis. If we speak up and elect a councillor willing to listen, we can influence real change in this city. This election, I urge you to consider some of these major issues, evaluate what matters most to you, and make certain your opinion is heard.
With 25,000 undergraduate students and only 4000 beds on campus, navigating through off-campus housing, landlords, and leases is part of the typical McMaster student experience. Unfortunately, there are homes packed to over-capacity, absent or negligent landlords and rising costs of rent which create levels of stress beyond what students should be experiencing.
As well, safety has become a major concern for many student housing neighbourhoods due to an increased number of break-ins this year. We are much more than university students; we are members of this community. We need to elect a councillor who will make housing a priority, hold landlords accountable, and address our safety concerns to make our neighbourhoods a better and safer place.
One of the most defining features of this election is transit. The fate of our proposed light rail transit system hangs in the balance as Doug Ford threatens to revoke the promised provincial funding. While transit is not the most exciting issue, it significantly impacts our everyday lives. McMaster would house an LRT terminal, providing us with a faster and more reliable way to get around and explore the city. The McMaster Students Union has taken a pro-LRT stance, and if we want this project to succeed, our Ward 1 councillor and mayor must be on board.
A more current issue is the Hamilton Street Railway. In 2017, students voted to increase tuition fees in exchange for expanded HSR service. However, last fall, there were over 200 hours of missed bus service each week, to the point where students could not rely on public transit to arrive to their exams on time. McMaster students are the HSR’s largest rider group, contributing over $4.5 million annually, yet we are constantly overlooked in times of financial stress. By voting, we show the city that our transit needs must be valued, and that the level of service provided needs to match our financial contributions.
If you’re still unsure, think about it this way — your voice is just as powerful, just as important, and just as valued as those who have lived in Hamilton for decades. We are all impacted by at least one key issue in this election: housing, transit, safety, the environment, student relations, student job opportunities, or economic growth.
But voting comes with great responsibility. Take the time to research the Ward 1 and mayoral candidates, as well as their stances on the key issues. Many young adults feel like their vote doesn’t matter, and unfortunately, by the way we are viewed by most of city council, that feeling makes sense. But this can change if we vote.
Go out to lunch with your friends and swing by the voting station. Talk to your classmates about why you’re planning to vote. Make a post on social media about your voting experience or issues that matter to you. We should all leave a place better than we found it, and making your voice heard in this Hamilton election is an incredible first step. On Oct. 22, make your vote count. See you at the polls, Marauders.
For information on Ward 1 councillor candidate platforms:
[button link="https://www.thesil.ca/meet-your-ward-1-councillor-candidates" color="red"]VIEW ALL CANDIDATE PLATFORMS[/button]
Questions on how to vote?
[button link="https://www.thesil.ca/ward-1-voting-101-a-voting-guide-for-mac-students" color="red"]WARD 1 VOTING GUIDE[/button]
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By: Joey Coleman
Hamilton city council isn’t anti-student, it’s pro-vote. Since students don’t vote, city council doesn’t care about your issues, and the result is they make decisions against your interests.
In the 2006 municipal election, only 10 students voted at the on-campus polling. The city did not repeat the experiment of on-campus voting in 2010 or 2014, citing the high cost for so few votes.
Considering the damage this low turnout did to student power at city hall, this was probably a good thing.
Since 2006, for the past decade, whenever the HSR lacked drivers, buses were pulled from the 51-University. Five seniors on a grocery shuttle charter take priority over hundreds of McMaster students left waiting on the university line.
Why? Because that grocery charter had five more voters than the university line.
Writing for this newspaper from 2006 to 2009, I regularly opined on anti-student sentiment in the community. I was especially critical of over-policing and targeting of the student community by mayor Fred Eisenberger and councillor Brian McHattie.
I thought as an undergraduate that council was anti-student and it wasn’t until a 2009 discussion on Parliament Hill with a McMaster professor that I realized they were not anti-student, they were pro-vote. The very small anti-student minority in Ainslie Wood and Westdale vote, and they put more ballots in the box than students.
Traditionally, McMaster Students Union presidents have shown up at city hall to declare their position as the “Chief Executive Officer of a multi-million dollar corporation and major employer in our community”, bought tickets to civic events and participate in photo ops.
In the 2006 municipal election, only 10 students voted at the on-campus polling. The city did not repeat the experiment of on-campus voting in 2010 or 2014, citing the high cost for so few votes.
This spring, that changed. This year’s MSU president is regularly at city hall challenging the status quo, representing students and acting on students’ material interests.
Wisely, he empowers the vice president (Education) and associate vice president (Municipal Affairs) to challenge city hall’s targeted bylaw enforcement of students, lack of consideration of student housing issues at the rental housing committee, and starting to plan to mobilize student voters.
The combination of Silhouette coverage and MSU action is already seeing results. The HSR stopped removing the 51-University bus from service as city hall legitimately fears this year’s MSU will take actions and not merely use words to protect student interests.
On Oct. 26, the Silhouette published an editorial suggesting that it is time for students to reconsider the UPass in light of the city failing to live up to its obligations.
The day prior, Oct. 25, the MSU president, Chukky Ibe, stood in front of the Ontario Municipal Board to testify against a city attempt to split Ainslie Wood into two wards and remove the ability of students to effectively influence Council races.
Ibe told the board that students are “often scapegoated for political gain”. He provided an excellent statement on behalf of MSU members, one that I expect will be cited in the pending ruling if the OMB rules against the split.
The MSU standing up to city council in a quasi-judicial hearing is unprecedented — it made the MSU a legitimate force at city hall.
Students are a significant source of revenue for the HSR, and the only new revenue this year. All HSR fare categories, except post-secondary students, were frozen this year. The HSR cannot afford to lose your money.
Both the Silhouette and the MSU have started planning for the October 2018 municipal election. city hall is hedging their earlier bet that students don’t vote.
It is no coincidence that the HSR reversed its decade-old practice of always cutting buses to McMaster first when buses weren’t available — effective student journalism, MSU representation, and the possibility of students voting next year combined to create his reversal.
The city doesn’t care if thousands of students are not getting bus service, but it does care if those students become voters.
The question now is: are you going to vote next year, or will you leave the next decade of McMaster students standing at the curb waiting for buses that won’t come?
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