RIP electoral reform: Albertans join national protest day

A funeral procession wound its way through the streets of Edmonton on Saturday, accompanied by the wail of a bagpipe.

Black-clad mourners trailed the piper, shouldering a cardboard coffin with the words "RIP Electoral Reform promise."

Almost 100 Edmontonians joined a national day of action to protest the death of a promise by Prime Minister JustinTrudeau to reform Canada's electoral system.

"We need to come together to continue putting pressure on the Liberal government,"said Andrea Vogel, an executive member of Fair Vote Canada's Edmonton chapter.

"They need to return to their promise and make it happen they have time."

Trudeauabandoned a pillar of his 2015 campaign on Feb. 1, when he backed out of a promise to changethe way Canadians vote.

He later defended his decision, statingCanada's national unity was more important than the government'scommitmentto replaceits first-past-the-postelectoralsystem.

An online petition to force a debate in the House of Commons gives Vogel hopeTrudeau'sgovernment could still change track, she added.

• Trudeau says national unity more important than electoral reform
• Opposition accuses Trudeau of 'betrayal' as Liberals abandon promise of electoral reform

Protesters in Edmonton laid their electoral reform coffin to rest at the door ofLiberal MP Randy Boissonnault'sconstituency office in theOliver neighbourhood.

Boissonnault represents Edmonton Centre.

"We need to send a loud message to Justin Trudeau and the Liberal party that people do care about this issue," said Kristy Jackson, an advocate for proportional representation.

"We recognize it as fundamental to democracy, and he can't go back on a promise that he made to Canadians so many times before the election and after the election."

Canadians staged similar protests in dozens of other communities throughout the country.

In Calgary, about 70 people bolstered the national day of action with their own protest.

• Calgarians protest electoral reform decision
• Trudeau's promise of electoral reform: From 'we can do better' to accusations of betrayal

"I was really hoping to see some change," said Kristie Magnusson, adding her vote was swayed byTrudeau's electoral reform promise.

"I would like to have a say in who's in Parliament, and I don't feel like I've ever had that."