What I’m hearing at the doors

I've been knocking doors across the ward. When I started, I wasn't sure what I'd find. Five years ago, we were coming off a long winter of covid restrictions, and people were eager to see me at the door and keen to chat. Great news: people are still really engaged.

One resident brought up the Finn Report — a 2008 provincial commission on local governance reform. That's not casual knowledge. That's someone who's been paying attention for a long time and thinking about how government works.

On homelessness, the conversations have been nuanced and honest. People are frustrated — and in the same conversation, most of them acknowledge that this is a problem that cuts across every level of government and doesn't have easy answers. They want progress, not slogans. 

People are also invested in the future of the exhibition grounds — what gets built, how it's designed, what happens to the exhibition association. There's a range of views on the specifics, but everyone agrees it matters.

The thing that strikes me most is the contrast with what you'd see online, where you could be forgiven for thinking no city council has ever made a good decision. I guess no one calls you when you're doing a good job. At the door, people are thoughtful, specific, and generous with their time. These are conversations that make campaigning worthwhile.