Since municipal politics mostly pertains to issues affecting day to day life, and not national affairs, perhaps it is time to rethink who gets to cast a ballot. Voting in municipal elections are historically low to begin with and people who have lived, pay taxes, and are active in this community for years are left without a voice. Should voting be based more on residency than citizenship requirements?

Many Indigenous people choose to not interfere with Canadian political governance structures thanks to the traditional understanding of Two Row Wampum and Dish with One Spoon Wampum. If municipal elections were based on residency versus citizenship eligibility could this increase Indigenous populations’ participation in elections that have such a great impact on their lives?

Dr. Ruth Koleszar-Green, Co-Chair of Indigenous Council at York University, and Chantal Desloges, one of Toronto’s top immigration lawyers, leads our discussion on August 20 about whether or not municipal voting should be opened up to non-citizens.

Doors will open at 7:00pm. We will begin our discussion earlier than usual at 7:15pm.

Please RSVP to let us know you can join us.