Election bound

Cancellations abound

So I drove all the way across Oshawa today, only to find out that the Oshawa candidates debate hosted by the Chamber of Commerce, was cancelled. This is the second debate in Oshawa to be cancelled in the last week -- the Childrens Aid Society also pulled theirs last Thursday. We're told both events were bagged due to lack of interest, which either means the organizers didn't advertise enough, or people care even less than we thought they did. It's probably a little from column A and little from column B. In any case, that leaves two more chances for Oshawa voters to see their candidates under one roof -- next Tuesday the Oshawa Senior Citzens Centre is hosting a forum at its John Street branch at 9:30 a.m. and next Wednesday at 3 p.m. there will be a forum hosted by the Student Association at Durham College/UOIT at 3 p.m. in the UOIT Science Building East Atrium. The Student Association will also host the Oshawa-Whitby candidates Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

Oshawa has a green guy

Less than one month until election day, and Oshawa finally has a Green Party candidate. We still haven't been able to find out whether a nomination meeting was held, but according to the GPO website, Alexander Kemp will be running for the Greens in Oshawa. If his name sounds familiar, it's because Mr. Kemp took a shot at the mayor's seat in the 2006 municipal election. At that time he was employed a Hero Burger and was also a personal support workers for seniors. We're still waiting for a call back to see what's new with Mr. Kemp these days and whether he has a campaign office or website in the works...

Green Party leader a no-show

If you were a college or university student hoping to talk tuition fees with one of the party leaders in Oshawa yesterday you were out of luck.

Green Party leader Frank de Jong was a no-show at a previously announced campaign stop on the combined  campus of Durham College and UOIT.  de Jong's itinerary for the day, sent out to media in the morning, said he would be at the Student Centre at 6:30 p.m. to talk tuition fees and education before heading over to the Whitby-Oshawa Riding nomination meeting. 

We retained an ambitious Durham College journalism student to cover the event and get the student perspective but despite her very best efforts, it soon became clear that people on campus - not the Student Centre manager nor the Student Association president - knew anything about this event. Hmmmmm, communication problem in the Green Party?

Showing true reporter spirit the student made many calls to the Green Party - no luck - and finally made her way over to the Whitby Public Library to catch up with him at the nomination meeting. His excuse for missing his campus stop -- stuck in traffic.

Greens plan some fun

The Oshawa Greens are hosting a Corn Roast - Fun Fair - Yard Sale
Sat. Sept. 15, 2007 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
5515 Garrard Rd. Whitby - Oshawa
Pony Rides Jumping Castle Haunted House Face Painting
Games Prizes Jewellery Sale Woodworking Crafts
Home Baking Yard Sale Sponsor a Tree
For more information please call Pat Gostlin 905-666-8890

Property taxes ... not just a municipal election issue

It would appear that property tax is going to be a major issue in October's election.
According to this story,

With a provincial election less than two months away, McGuinty, Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory and New Democrat Leader Howard Hampton are all keen to position themselves as the saviour of overburdened towns and cities.

At this weeks' Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in Ottawa, Liberal premier Dalton McGuinty announced his government would be uploading the costs of disability support program and drug benefits forr those on social assistance.

Meanwhile, NDP leader Howard Hampton was in Durham, commiserating with residents about high property taxes.

And, Tory John Tory has said the Mike Harris government was wrong when it downloaded a whole bunch fo services to municipalities during the 90s. He, apparently, will unveil how he's going to fix the problem after the election. Handy.

If anything ought to galanize people, it's property taxes --- after all,  people complain about 'em all the time. One can only hope this issue reminds people how important it is to get out to the polls.

Oshawa has a Liberal

After weeks of speculation, Oshawa's Liberal candidate has been unveiled.

Ajax resident Faelyne Templer was nominated Aug. 10, and was the only person to seek the nomination -- which should come as no surprise considering the rough ride Liberal candidates have had in Oshawa in recent years.

We're still waiting for an interview with Ms. Templer, but a press release says she was a 2006 nominee for the YWCA Durham’s Women of Distinction award, for her work with non-profit group Avocation, which provides free vocational training and job support.

She is the Business Co-Chair of the Durham Region Local Training Board, sits on the board for A Commitment to Training and Employment for Women (ACTEW) and is  a member of the Ajax Pickering Board of Trade and the Whitby Chamber of Commerce.

Stay tuned for more information on this candidate...

Mark your calendar now

    If you've got a Thursday night to spare in September you may want to check out an all-candidates forum being hosted by the Durham Children's Aid Society (CAS) Sept. 20.
    Provincial candidates from all over Durham Region will take part in the forum which begins at 7 p.m. at the new Durham CAS building, 1320 Airport Rd.
    For more information, contact 905-434-1551.

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED BY THE ORGANIZERS.

Two candidates down, two to go in Oshawa

With about 11 weeks to go until the provincial election, Oshawa has two candidates decided, while the other two are anyone's guess.

As expected, Conservative MPP Jerry Ouellette will be trying for a fourth term at Queens Park. He was first elected in Oshawa in 1995, after beating out former Oshawa mayor and NDP incumbent Allan Pilkey.

There will also be a familiar face on the NDP front, as CUPE president Sid Ryan tries for a third time to win a provincial seat. He ran for the NDP in two previous provincial elections and stood as a federal NDP candidate in Oshawa, in both the 2004 and 2006 elections.

The Liberals have yet to schedule a nomination meeting, and emails to the local riding association reveal that the president has resigned. A spokesperson at the party's Toronto office said she has no idea when a meeting will take place, or who the nomination candidates might be. But, they promised to be in touch when something is decided....

As for Greens, calls to the local Representative have gone unanswered so far and the party's website doesn't list a candidate for Oshawa yet...

Oshawa Riding boundaries

Oshawa is both a federal and provincial electoral district that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1955.

It consists of the southern and eastern parts of the City of Oshawa, Ontario south and east of a line drawn from west to east along King Street West, north along Oshawa Creek, east along Rossland Road West, north along Simcoe Street North and east along Winchester Road East. The riding included the communities of Kedron and Taunton and the eastern part of North Oshawa. It has a population of 113,662 and an area of 74 sq. km.