From the Archive – Provincial Election 2025
I remember this day rather well.
Peterborough had just been hit by one of two enormous snowstorms, the sidewalks were a mess, and I was walking down Bolivar Street knocking on doors because apparently I had decided that February in Ontario was an excellent time to learn how political canvassing works.
It was worth it.
The biggest thing I took away from that campaign wasn’t something particularly ideological. It was how different politics feels when you’re standing on someone’s doorstep listening to them explain what’s actually happening in their life.
People rarely describe their concerns in the language governments use. Nobody opens the door and says they’d like to discuss “municipal service-delivery optimization.” They tell you the bus doesn’t arrive when they need it. Their rent went up. The sidewalk is difficult to navigate with a walker. They’re worried about what their neighbourhood will look like in five years. Or they think their taxes keep increasing without understanding what they’re getting for them.
That experience is a big part of how I want to run this campaign.
I’ll publish a platform and make specific commitments. I think candidates owe voters that. But I don’t want to construct the entire campaign from behind a computer and then spend two months explaining it to people.
I’d rather start at their doors.
Preferably with less snow this time.