Political action groups inform voters ahead of municipal election

In the lead-up to the municipal election, several local organizations have surveyed candidates or even taken them on bike rides to get to know them.

It has all been done to help inform voters ahead of Monday's municipal election.

CBCKitchener-Waterloo hosted a Facebook Live panel with some of the groups that have engaged candidates. You can watch that here:

Civic Tech WR

This groupdeveloped a website called Waterloo Region Votes that consolidates information about every candidate, including a list oftheir social media accounts and websites.

Kristina Taylor, co-founder of Civic Tech WR,says they did this because they identified voter engagement and voter turnout as being an issue in the region "and people being rather confused about what's going to be on their ballot."

• Visit the Waterloo Region Votes website

Hold the Line

Hold the Line is a group that surveyed candidates about the countryside line, which the region has said it will protect to prevent urban sprawl.

They hold a music festival each year to get people talking about the need to protect the countryside line.

For this municipal election, they've surveyed candidates about their views.

• Read the candidate responses on the Hold the Line website

TriTAG

This is the third municipal election the walking, cycling and transportation advocacy group has surveyed candidates.

Mike Boos of TriTAG says they asked specific transportation questions of candidates in this latest survey and they want voters to be aware and give them access to the information.

"We know the last election, almost half of our survey traffic happened actually on election day itself," he said.

• Read the candidate responses on the TriTAG website

Cycle WR

This group has done two different things during this election: One was a ride with candidates, where volunteers took candidates out to to "what it's really like to bike within the region," said Emily Slofstra from Cycle WR.

The volunteers wrote about their candidate rides on the group's website.

Cycle WR also asked candidates and voters to make a pledge, askingcandidates to "commit to prioritizing cycling in Waterloo region" which includes a minimum grid of connected cycling infrastructure within four years and a minimum funding commitment of $20 per resident per year to implement the plan.

The group asked voters to pledge to encourage candidates to do those two things.

• Read about the rides and the pledge on the Cycle WR website

Architectural Conservancy North Waterloo Region Branch

This educational and advocacy group sent out surveys to 138 candidates, including school board trustees, but received just 40 responses. On the group's website they ask, "We wonder if heritage is not a big issue with candidates?"

• Read the candidates' responses on their website

Citizen questions on paramedic services

Jamie Moffat is married to a paramedic in the region, and reached out to candidates to ask for their thoughts on the region's paramedic services.

• Read the responses on Document Cloud

Cambridge TaxpayerSupport Group

This Cambridge group asked candidates for their thoughts on the city's budget process and asked how they would ensure financial accountability while serving on council.

• Read the responses on the Cambridge TaxpayerSupport Group blog

Arts and culture

TheMuseumwanted to offer people free admission on Wednesday, Oct. 24 if they said they voted, but were quickly told that's not allowed under the province's Municipal Elections Act.

Instead, everyone can get in using the no-so-secret passphrase, "please vote."

TheMuseum's CEO David Marskellsays he's disappointed arts and culture haven't been higher on the priority lists of candidates.

"I'm really not seeing a lot of the election conversation touching on the arts and culture sector at all and that concerns me. I believe the arts and culture sector has kind of gone through a depression and we need to rally together and have a voice in unison to speak out for the arts," he said.

"I think this election is the biggest opportunity for change in the last 40 years and I believe people need to vote, they need to have arts and culture in mind, and they need to sustain it and help it, not just limp along, but to flourish."