Let permanent residents vote municipally, urges Waterloo city council

Waterloo city council hasput forward a motion to the provincial government to allow permanent status residents to participate in municipal and school board election.

City Councillor Royce Bodalysaid this issueis based on creating room for equity and inclusion for residents living in the city.

According to the 2016 Canadian census, it is estimated that immigrants represent approximately one-quarter of Waterloo's population, and of that number one-quarter are permanent residents.

"From my perspective it's really about equity and inclusion," said Bodaly.

"And making sure that we are hearing from voices that have historically been disenfranchised from participating in local elections."

Permanent residents say their opinions 'don't matter'

Bodaly recalls during his electoral campaign in 2018, when goingdoor-to-door permanentresidents would tell him their opinions don't matterbecause they weren't allowed to vote. He heard the same answers earlier this year when Bodaly reached out to community members about local issues.

"I would hear it again, 'Why do you care what I think? I'm not allowed to vote any ways.'"

Bodalybegan doing more research and connected with immigration groups, and eventually brought forward the motion.

Waterloo City Councillor Tenille Bonoguore, says she's in support of the motion because she's an immigrant and went through the process of residency and citizenship in Canada. She also recalls hearing similar statements as Bodaly's from Waterloo residents, during her campaigning experience.

"When I was campaigning in the last election, there [were] a lot of people in this city who didn't get to vote because they're permanent residents," she said.

"They quite often didn't even think that their opinion mattered when I was going around asking people what was important to them for the city."

Bodaly says amending this law will be tough and it will require some advocacy from provincial leaders and elected officials to pass the motion. He also noticed a momentumhasbuilt up for the cause in other parts of the countrylike Halifax and Vancouver,and hopes for Ontario to pick it up.

'We need to continue to do a better job and push the needle'

Whether the Municipal Elections Act is amended or not, Bodaly says he will continue to keep Waterloo's permanent residents engaged in the community through other meaningful strategies, especiallyfor youths and international students who can't vote.

In addition, Bodaly will also continue to advocate on the behalf of permanent residents who are eager to see this change.

"I think we need to continue to do a better job and continue to push the needle on this to ensure we have better civic engagement," said Bodaly.

"That's really going to be where my focus is going forward, and I hope that this motion is something that the municipalities and the province take seriously."