Elle_Canada_-_October_2019

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WHO Melina Laboucan-

Massimo, fellow at the David

Suzuki Foundation

THE ISSUE Climate change

THE REASON “It ’s the biggest

issue of our time, really, for all people

on this planet. We have climate

scientists around the world saying

that we literally have 10 to 12 years

to act. When I started working

on climate issues a decade ago,

people weren’t as aware, but now

we’re seeing weather that we’ve

never seen before, and that ’s quite

concerning. Building the Trans

Mountain Pipeline locks us into a

fossil-fuel future, which climate sci-

entists have said we can’t continue

to do. It’s just exacerbating the issue.”

WHO Cicely Blain, CEO, Cicely

Blain Consulting, and co-founder

of Black Lives Matter Vancouver

THE ISSUE The protection

of marginalized communities

THE REASON “For me, it’s

important that the government

focuses more on how to keep

communities safe. How do we

train police officers so they know

de-escalation techniques and

don’t resort to violence? How can

we make sure that the report on

Missing and Murdered Indigenous

Women and Girls is honoured?

There’s lots of room for change, and

I think Canada has an opportunit y

to be a leader in reconciliation,

making reparations and supporting

communities that have been mar-

ginalized in different ways.”

WHO Harsha Walia,

writer and activist

THE ISSUE Anti-immigration

sentiment

THE REASON “This is a wedge

issue that we’re seeing in the

United States, Europe and, increas-

ingly, Canada. We think we’re

immune to it, but there’s been

an increase of white suprema-

cist groups here, and there is an

increased sentiment to deport,

or not take in more, refugees.

People [are beginning to] think

that access to housing and health

care is somehow contingent on

expelling immigrants and refu-

gees. So rather than advocating

for adequate public services that

are being gutted by deliberate

policies of austerity, there’s an

increasing movement to scape-

goat migrants.”

WHO Arlene Dickinson,

entrepreneur

THE ISSUE Support for

business owners

THE REASON “Entrepreneurs

are driving jobs, creating economic

growth and building stronger com-

munities. At the end of the day, I think

the government has to be on the

lookout for how to make that easier

and how to support them, whether

it ’s with favourable tax regimes, sup-

port for accelerators that help grow

business or reducing red tape. It ’s

a critical component of economic

growth and empowerment.” h

WHAT’S YOUR MAKE-OR-BREAK ISSUE

for the Election?

Five Canadians on what matters most to them right now.

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3%

The percentage

of Canadian

neighbourhoods

in which someone

earning minimum

wage can afford to

rent an average two-

bedroom apartment—

which is why the

cost of living is a

major issue in the

upcoming election.

SOURCE: CANADIAN CENTRE FOR

POLICY ALTERNATIVES