Is southwestern Ontario the new power base for the Green Party?
Southern Ontario is leading the way for the Green Party.
There are 11 elected Greens at the federal level in the provinces and territories. Compare that to Kitchener and Guelph, where there are three, representing over 25 per cent of elected Greens in Canada.
For Ontario Green Party leader and Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner, it’s no surprise they’ve found support in southwestern Ontario.
“There's so many businesses here that are succeeding in the innovation economy, in the emerging climate economy, that are making real contributions to reducing climate pollution,” said Schreiner.
Beyond the party’s environmental platform, Schreiner said people have gravitated to their “people first” ethos.
“I think one of the things that [Kitchener Centre MP] Mike Morrice, [newly elected Kitchener Centre MPP] Aislinn Clancy and myself have talked about is putting people before party politics, running people-centered campaigns versus party-center campaigns.”
But how successful can the Green Party be in this part of Ontario?
Without making any predictions, Schreiner said the Greens have room to grow.
“Certainly there's fertile ground here for green values, vision and policies,” said Schreiner. “We see other opportunities and other ridings in this region to engage, mobilize and inspire people to be a part of that type of new political movement.”
THE PATH FORWARD
Simon Kiss, an associate professor of political science at Wilfrid Laurier University, agrees there may be room to grow but it may be a difficult road.
“Once you get outside of downtown Kitchener, the demographics start to change pretty quickly,” he said. “So if anything they might try to prioritize taking Waterloo especially if [NDP MPP] Catherine Fife decides not to run, but we don't have any indication that she won't run.”
Kiss added that it’s very likely the Green Party will focus a great deal of time and effort on this area in upcoming general elections.
“You'll see more visible Green campaigns, you'll see more visits by Green Party leaders, you'll possibly see more local issues, appearances and Green party platforms. Something like transit from downtown Toronto to the outer edges of the Golden Horseshoe is important for an area like Kitchener.”
The next general election in Ontario is expected to be in 2026, and federally, voters could head to the polls in 2025.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The world is too messy for bureaucratic hurdles': Canada still bars Afghanistan aid
Ottawa has plans to finally stop blocking Canadian development aid to Afghanistan this year.
Student anti-war protesters dig in as faculties condemn university leadership over calling police
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at at universities across U.S., some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, dug in Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Hamas is reviewing an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as possible Rafah offensive looms
Hamas said Saturday it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as Egypt intensified efforts to broker a deal to end the months-long war and stave off a possible Israeli ground offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Russia renews attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector as Kyiv launches drones at southern Russia
Russia launched a barrage of missiles against Ukraine overnight, in attacks that appeared to target the country's energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Russia said its air defense systems had intercepted more than 60 Ukrainian drones over the southern Krasnodar region.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.