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Niagara Falls
Monday, December 9, 2024
NOTL residents catching election fever

 

The 2019 federal election is less than a week away and Niagara-on-the-Lake residents are in the election spirit by showing partisan support with campaign signs on their front yards.

On a drive through neighbourhoods in town, one can see a variety of red, blue, orange, green and yellow campaign signs. A range of support is evident for each party.

And while some residents are broadcasting their political preference to let the community know who they think should win the election this year, like Conservative supporter Jordan Meyer, others are simply trying to get the message out there that it’s important to vote no matter what.

Jeff Stewart proudly displayed a red sign for Liberal candidate Andrea Kaiser and a yellow sign for independent Mike Strange, side-by-side on his front lawn. He would display all the candidates’ signs if he was asked, he said.

“I would have all the parties out there if they asked. I just want people to go out and vote,” Stewart said.

He said there are four eligible voters in his house and each one will likely cast a different vote on Monday.

“It doesn’t matter who I support or who you support, just get out there and vote,” Stewart said.

Meyer said he’s not a very political person, but he has always voted Conservative.

“My dad brought me the sign over … My neighbour had the Liberal sign, and he said you can’t let the only person on the street be Liberal,” Meyer said.

“I’m a roofer, carpenter. I work with my hands and like the outdoors, I’m a member of gun clubs. I’ve never been arrested, I’ve never been in jail, I’ve never had any criminal affiliations. And yet the Liberals are saying they’re going to take the guns away from us, but nothing about the actual criminals,” Meyer said.

He respects Conservative candidate Tony Baldinelli’s support for gun rights and he appreciates his charisma, he said.

“Tony Baldinelli, he comes to the gun shows and shows his support for us gun rights advocates. He’s an educated man and he’s got a hell of a smile,” he said.

On the same street, New Democratic Party supporters Maria and Peter Douglas said they want people to know there’s more than just the two options. The large orange sign out front of their house signifies their dedication to the party.

“The NDP are the only ones with any real solution to the matters at hand,” Peter Douglas said.

“The media portrays the two parties as the only options, but the NDP are a viable choice,” he added.

With a bright red sign out front of his house, David Smith said he’s always been a Liberal supporter. Though he said he doesn’t know Kaiser personally, he supports the Liberal government and Trudeau’s economic and environmental policies.

“Mr. Trudeau, for a long time, was the most outspoken supporter for policy to deal with climate, long before anyone else talked about it. And I think the government deserves some kind of credit for that,” Smith said.

Julia Buxton-Cox has a Green party sign out front of her house – she said she’s voted Green for years.

“We only have two more federal elections before we need to meet climate targets of 2030. My focus is on climate and we need to make a big change,” she said.

She said she can respect the Green party and what it stands for.

“I really like Elizabeth (May’s) platform. I like how bold she is. I like that she lives the lifestyle,” she added.

But Buxton-Cox’s main message was just to get out and vote, she said.

Many residents said they already made their way to the polls during advanced voting last weekend. Those who didn’t said they have made up their mind about who they are going to vote for and would be sure to get to the polls on Monday.

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