Federal Byelection All Candidates Meeting Aims to Increase Voter Turnout

by Adonis Huggins
Adonis is staff member of FOCUS Media Arts Centre

On Tuesday October 20, 2020, a Virtual Toronto Centre Riding All-Candidates Meeting was held featuring candidates, Brian Chang of the NDP, Annamie Paul of the Green Party and Marci Len of the Liberal Party. The event was sponsored by the Community Civic Engagement Collaborative (CCEC), a non-partisan grassroots collection of residents and agencies in the Regent Park, Moss Park and St. James town neighbourhoods working to increase civic engagement in elections and beyond through community organizing. The event was also co-presented by the Corktown BIA and live streamed on Regent Park TV. The moderators of the event was Regent Park resident, Ibrahim Afrah, and James Town resident,Tanvir Kaukab.

The All-Candidates meeting was organized to inform voters of the platforms and candidates running to replace the former Member of Parliament Bill Morneau, in the Toronto Centre Federal By-Elections on October 26th. The video begins with a short discussion with candidates about the format. After the introduction of the moderators and a land acknowledgement, viewers heard the candidates answer solicited questions from residents on a range of topics including: community benefits in Regent Park; homelessness; youth employment; gun violence; the environment; poverty; and affordable housing. Following the 5 pm to 7 pm meeting, attendees in the Zoom meeting was invited to breakout rooms for more intimate conversations with the candidates. The All-Candidates meeting is part of a series of activities by the CCEC to increase voting education and turn out among  newcomers and low income communities.