2 weeks Ago By The Vancouver Sun
If the lineups at advance polls in Vancouver are a reflection of the country’s mood going into this federal election, voters are united on at least one thing: “Never 51.” Nick Valiani, 70, made the statement as he waited in a 11⁄2-hour-long line at the Killarney Community Centre to cast his vote for the Liberals. Valiani was willing to deal with the long wait.
“This election is consequential,” he said. “I’m voting for the one with a brain in his head: (Mark) Carney.” Advance polling stations opened on Good Friday at 9 a.
m. and about half an hour in, a queue stretched outside Yaletown’s Roundhouse Community Centre in downtown Vancouver with an estimated two-hour wait. The line deterred some voters who did not want to wait, including a senior with a cane who came ip, took a look at the line, and turned around to go home.
Others, like Yeesin Law, 59, a retiree, wasn’t going to let the 11⁄2 hour long lineup at Killarney Community Centre stop him. “I want to make sure my vote counts,” he said. For Law, the matter is personal.
“Trump’s actions on the economy have affected my bottom line,” said Law, whose mortgage is up for renewal at an interest rate that is higher than he had anticipated. Across the city, the willingness to wait in line on a sunny holiday Friday also reflected a determination and lack of ambivalence rarely seen at the federal ballot box. “There has never been a more important election to vote in than this one,” said Renée Van Halm, who was over an hour into her wait at Kitsilano Neighbourhood House on Vancouver’s west side.
Van Halm said she was voting “strategically.” “Usually climate, housing and the environment are my top priorities, but the issue right now is American policy and how that affects all of us,” said Van Halm. Van Halm said she would normally vote for the NDP, but had concerns a vote for that party might be “a wasted vote,” given the circumstances.
She’s voting for Carney. Greg Kakuno said he was voting for Carney. “Mark Carney has the ability to stand up to the big bully down south,” said Kakuno.
Next to him, George Pietrobon politely disagreed, although he said he always thought of himself as a liberal. “I’m voting Conservative. We need a change.
” Taylor Jackson, 34, said waiting in line didn’t faze him. “This is a really important election. That’s why I made sure I got here today.
Seeing how what’s going on south of the border is influencing the rise in right-wing tendencies in Canada is really disturbing to me.” “Canada first,” said Mark Henriques, who said he didn’t expect it to be so busy, but said this election cycle he felt more engaged than ever. “You see how the impact of a figure like Trump has bled over the border.
” Henriques said the “vulgarity” of Trump’s discourse bothered him deeply: “Everyone can have an opinion but we can be civil about it.” Despite the lineups, the tone was mostly civil. Lineups were reported at other voting stations in Vancouver including downtown’s West End Community Centre, and Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Fairview.
Unlike the recent Vancouver byelection, where voters waited up to three hours to cast a ballot, Elections Canada does not provide quicker access for seniors or families with young children. A spokesperson for Elections Canada said they were hearing “anecdotally” of a strong turnout across the country Friday, and returning officers were prepared to make adjustments for a range of contingencies, including larger-than-expected turnouts, as the four days of advance voting continues. Advance voting locations are open Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
[email protected] With files from Cheryl Chan Related.
