Welcome to the Municipal Election Toolkit for Candidates.
This guide will help you become election-ready.
The Social Research and Planning Council put together a list of ways you can take action and participate. With your help, we can elect a government that will help build a better country for all community members.
Click to read as an electronic magazine format or click to download a printable PDF or continue below.
1. For Candidates
2. Social Justice Issues
Poverty
Housing and Homelessness
Income; Living Wage, Basic Income
Mental Health and Addictions
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Community Safety and Well-being
Municipal Government Responsibilities (may differ by region)
The provincial government determines the powers of municipal governments. Municipal governments in Ontario are responsible for providing many of the services within their local boundaries that you rely on daily such as:
- Airports
- Ambulance
- Animal Control and Bylaw Enforcement
- Arts and Culture
- Child Care
- Economic Development
- Fire Services
- Garbage Collection and Recycling
- Electric Utilities
- Library Services
- Long-term Care and Senior Housing
- Maintenance of Local Road Network
- Parks and Recreation
- Public Transit
- Planning New Community Developments and Enhancing Existing Neighbourhoods
- Police Services
- Property Assessment
- Provincial Offences Administration
- Public Health
- Sidewalks
- Snow Removal
- Social Services
- Social Housing
- Storm Sewers
- Tax Collection
- Water and Sewage
The Current Context
The COVID-19 pandemic had a disproportionate impact on marginalized and vulnerable people. Over the past two years, rural communities and small cities have experienced an influx of change. It is imperative to recognize local opportunities for progress that address vulnerabilities and make us more resilient.
What is Social Justice?
Social justice is the assertion of the ideal that all humans should have the same rights and opportunities. From access to health care to safe spaces to live, social justice aims to level the playing field and eliminate discrimination. The idea behind social justice is we all have innate value as human beings and no person’s value is more or less than anyone else’s.
Exploring Major Social Justice Issues in Perth-Huron
Different social justice issues come to the forefront at different times, and certain issues might be more relevant across different countries, societies, cultures, cities and neighborhoods. They affect people’s access to different types of goods, services and opportunities. Social justice issues are often wide-ranging and diverse. Below are a few of concern locally today.
Poverty
Question: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected our most vulnerable citizens?
Ideal Response
The COVID-19 pandemic heightened inequities in our communities. Our goal is to build toward an equitable recovery. This requires lifting people out of poverty in a dignified manner by ensuring they can afford basic needs such as safe and affordable housing, healthy food and health care; ensure economic barriers — such as child care, transportation, racial and gender discrimination — are reduced; and promote full participation in society and equitable opportunities for vulnerable people.
Actions
- Support individuals in filing taxes.
- Promote Living Wage to employers.
- Support a Food Policy Council in Canada and healthy food for all Canadian school kids.[1]
- Support oral health programs.
Background
The pandemic has increased the number of people in our communities struggling to afford food, find affordable homes and/or experiencing homelessness. A collective response is needed to engage community organizations to meet these basic and strategic needs.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted health inequalities within racialized, Indigenous, Black and low-income communities.[2] People living in low-income neighbourhoods were hospitalized at over double the rate of those living in higher income areas.
Housing affordability for low-income families — rental and ownership — continues to outpace wage growth. There are long-term effects and families are struggling in areas such as nutrition, education, transportation, childcare and health care.
- Perth Huron vacancy rates sit at 0–7%.[3]
- Across Perth-Huron the average price of homes sold in September 2021 was $615,459, up 33.7% from September 2020.
- A jurisdictional market scan (2018–2021) highlighted a continued increase in rental market rates of 58–74% since 2018.[4]
Food Insecurity
Household food insecurity — the inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints — is a serious public health problem in Canada. It negatively impacts physical, mental, and social health and costs our health care system considerably.[5] By the time someone reports they are struggling to put food on the table, they are also struggling to afford other basic needs.
Household food insecurity is closely linked to income. As a household’s income declines, the risk of food insecurity increases. In 2021, the average Canadian family paid up to an extra $966 for food. For an average family of four, that means a $14,767 annual grocery bill.[6]
Local data identifies:
- Huron County (HC) food banks reported 33% of visits involved children and 15% seniors (60+), with a total of 17,675 visits in 2021.
- The Huron County Food Bank Distribution Centre Mobile Food Bank (MFB) program had 5,268 visits, up 50.68% over 2020.
- In total, there were 22,943 visits in 2021 (20,961 in 2020) to HC Food Banks & MFB program.
- In Perth County (Stratford & St. Marys included) the four food banks served reported 12% serving seniors (60+) and 31% serving children with a total of 5,726 visits.
Learn More
- How Much Is Enough? report
- Photovoice Project
- Canadian Institute for Health Information report: www.cihi.ca/en
Sources
[1] Coalition for Healthy School Food. 2022. Healthy Food for All Canadian school kids
[2] Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. January 2022. Health Equity Considerations and Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups
[3] The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), Huron Perth Association of Realtors. January 2022 https://creastats.crea.ca/board/huro
[4] Stratford Business Case for Alternate AMR 2021 https://www.stratford.ca/en/inside-city-hall/housing.aspx
[5] Household food Insecurity in Canada, March 2021. PROOF, Canada Food Insecurity Policy Research
[6] Arrell Food Institute, University of Guelph. December 2021. Food Price Report
Housing and Homelessness
Question: How can municipalities participate in solutions addressing the housing crisis in Perth-Huron?
Ideal Response
Municipalities must work in collaboration with provincial and federal government programs addressing gaps for renters and expanding attainable and affordable market and non-market housing units*.
Opportunities for municipalities to address the housing crisis through social and economic solutions will ensure all Perth-Huron citizens have access to adequate, attainable and affordable housing.[1]
*CMHA definitions:
- Affordable Housing — costs less than 30% of a household’s before-tax income
- Attainable Housing — housing that is Adequatein condition (no major repairs needed), Appropriate in size (bedrooms appropriate for household), Affordable (costing less than 30% of before-tax income), Accessible to Services (located in areas where common services are available) and Available (a range of housing types)
Actions
Association of Municipalities Ontario’s (AMO) outstanding recommendations to address the housing supply and affordability crisis remain relevant.[2]
- Update and modernize planning policies and procedures where applicable.
- Create building incentives for affordable, attainable housing development.
- Explore an accommodation tax.
- Increase the supply of Affordable Market Housing for families.
- Expand affordable housing options.
- Address homelessness.
- Utilize innovative housing solutions including supportive, co-operative and social housing.
- Support people with their health care needs for successful tenancy.
Background
AMO highlights the state of Ontario’s housing crisis. Housing is in short supply. Home ownership is out of reach for many. Rents are too high relative to incomes and people experiencing homelessness in Ontario desperately need a roof over their heads.
The lack of suitable affordable housing in Ontario is a significant problem that all orders of government must work together to address in partnership with the private, non-profit, and co-operative housing sectors.
The federal and provincial governments have recognized the severe housing challenges facing families and came together recently with various strategies, plans and funding programs addressing the issue. While these initiatives are welcome, more must be done to meet the housing challenges faced by people in our communities. AMO recommendations listed above remain relevant.
Learn More
- Future of Housing
- Supportive Housing
- Lived Experience Expert Panel
- Association of Municipalities. Fixing the Housing Affordability Crisis. 2019:
[1] Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO) August 2019. Fixing the Housing Affordability Crisis
[2] Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO) August 2019. Fixing the Housing Affordability Crisis
Income; Living Wage, Basic Income
Question: How do rural communities and small cities create community resiliency?
Ideal Response
Supporting Living Wage employers is a start in achieving a sustainable quality of life in Perth-Huron.
The concept of a living wage is bigger than income. It is about ensuring our neighbours can afford to pay their rent and buy nutritious food, our workers are healthy and able to pay for transportation to get to work every day and our children are given sufficient social and educational opportunities so they can flourish.
Basic Income can be good for business. Putting money in citizen’s hands lets them spend it in their local economies, which could cause private capital investments to increase up to $15 billion a year — more than double all Canadian venture capital investments a year.[1]
Basic Income is a raise for working Canadians. Economic activity from Basic Income would cause businesses to hire, spending up to $32 billion a year in total wages— as much as the profits of our top 3 banks.[2]
Actions
- Provide incentives (e.g. tax, fees, etc) to encourage local business owners to pay a Living Wage.
- Provide public support by writing a letter or meeting with the Member of Parliament that Basic Income can grow Canada’s economy while ending poverty and growing the middle class.
- Discuss Living Wage and Basic Income at the Warden’s Caucus meetings, Regional Municipal meetings, etc.
Background
Many people struggling financially prior to the pandemic were unprepared for a brief emergency, let alone prolonged economic shutdowns:
- 57% of people with incomes make less than $35,000 in Perth-Huron.[3]
- 30% of employees worked longer hours, with the number of employees working 41–51 hours per week doubling from 2019 to 2020.[4]
- In 2019, 4% of the population at Perth and Huron had more than one paid job and that number increased to 6% in 2020.[5]
COVID-19 has increased hardship and risk for those with lower incomes[6] — curtailing services they relied on to make ends meet, increasing daily living costs, deepening social isolation and exposing low-wage essential workers to increased health risks. In 2019, 23% of families in Huron and 28% families in Perth were identified as low-income family status.[7]
Living Wage[8]
Fostering resiliency in small cities and rural communities requires economic flexibility and the ability to recognize new opportunities moving forward. The purpose of the Living Wage is to strengthen and support local employers’ efforts to attract and retain employees. The Living Wage is a response to the rise in precarious employment and a key part of economic growth, providing workers and their families with a better way of life, benefiting employers and helping build more vibrant and healthy communities.
Living Wage helps bridge the gap:
- Workforce: Perth-Huron is a region that needs to attract and retain a workforce. Collectively, we are a community of low unemployment rates and precarious employment. Securing a Living Wage assists in the retention and attraction of employees to our community.
- Income: Income levels have not kept pace with the rate of inflation. A Living Wage helps narrow the inflation rate gap.
- Housing: Development of all types of housing is critical to economic and social development within Perth-Huron. A diverse selection of housing will attract families and skilled labourers.
Basic Income,
According to a new report: Basic Income can grow Ontario’s economy $40B/year, add 287,000 jobs[9]
- Basic Income is a sustainable investment that can grow Ontario’s economy, create jobs, raise wages, and support businesses while ending poverty.
- Basic Income can be good for business. Putting money in Canadians’ hands lets them spend it in their local economies, which could cause private capital investments to increase up to $15 billion a year — more than double all yearly Canadian venture capital investments.
- Basic Income is a raise for working Canadians. Economic activity from Basic Income would cause businesses to hire, spending up to $32 billion a year in total wages — as much as the profits of our top 3 banks.
- Basic Income can be a self-sustaining investment. Basic Income could grow the economy more than it costsin the long term, making this a sustainable investment over time. It could generate $22 billion a year in new government revenues from new economic activity — as much as all EI Premiums paid by employees and employers.
- Basic Income could grow the economy sustainably while lifting 2 million families out of povertyand growing the middle class.
Learn More
- Perth-Huron Living Wage 2021
- Lived Experience Expert Panel Basic Income:
- Basic Income report
- Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis (CANCEA) Report
[1] Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis (CANCEA) Report (December 2020) Potential Economic Impacts and Reach of Basic Income Programs in Canada
[2] Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis (CANCEA) Report(December 2020) Potential Economic Impacts and Reach of Basic Income Programs in Canada
[3] Statistic Canada, Tax filers and dependents with income by total income, sex and age
[4] United Way Centraide Canada UWCC. 2022. Demographics and Community Dashboard, Environics Analytics Data, Community Life Part 3. (WHW120C1, WHW120C11, WHW120C21, WHW120C31, WHW120C36, WHW120C41, WHW120C51) https://www.unitedway.ca/
[5]United Way Centraide Canada UWCC. 2022. Demographics and Community Dashboard, Environics Analytics Data, Community Life Part 3 (Variable WHW1101
[6] Statistic Canada, Financial resilience and financial well-being of Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic. September 2021
[7] Statistics Canada 2019 Annual Income Estimates for Census Families, Individuals and SeniorsT1 Family File, Final Estimates, 2019. Reference 20026 – 976982
[8] Social Research and Planning Council Perth Huron 2020 Living Wage
[9] Economic Impacts and Reach for Basic Income Programs in Canada: CANCEA Report(December 2020) Potential Economic Impacts and Reach of Basic Income Programs in Canada https://www.ubiworks.ca/groweconomy
Mental Health and Addictions
Question: What can we do about increased mental health and addictions needs in our community?
Ideal Response
Municipalities deliver community health, income support and social services, recreation, housing, and policing services, all of which connect to mental health. Mental health and addictions cause some of the most serious challenges in our communities and those who suffer from them are among those in greatest need.
We can change the narrative around mental health and addictions through education and awareness, decreasing stigmas and increasing investments in collaborative local solutions.
Action
- Invest in the Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Teams (MCRRT) in Perth-Huron and explore opportunities to invest in Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST). Mobile teams consist of a plainclothes police officer and a mental health professional (Registered Nurse, Occupational Therapist, or Social Worker) driving an unmarked car. The team provides mobile assessments and support to people who may be experiencing a mental health crisis.
- Educate ourselves and ensure the public is aware of the supports available.
- Decrease stigma around mental health and addictions — particularly in males — and create safe spaces for dialogue to raise awareness of the mental health crisis.
- Strengthen partnerships in decreasing barriers to access of services in rural, remote communities. (e.g., support virtual care, internet communications technology and accessibility)
- Support non-profit and charitable mental health and addictions (MHA) community organizations and services.
Background
Current realities in Perth-Huron
- 80% more people self-assessed their mental health as poor since the onset of the pandemic.
- Youth, females and those with low income experienced mental health decline at higher rates.
- In any given year, 14–20% of the population will personally experience a MHA problem or illness. Taking the conservative estimate of 14%, this equates to 20,580 of the total rostered patient population for the Huron Perth and Area – Ontario Health Team (HPA-OHT), including children and youth.
- Mental Health impacts people from all walks of life, regardless of age, education, income level or culture.
- Over 24,000 people in Perth-Huron could benefit from some level of MHA services.
- The economic cost of mental illness nationally is estimated at $51 billion/year.
- In Ontario, the annual cost of alcohol-related health care, law enforcement, corrections, lost productivity and other problems is estimated to be at least $5 billion.
- 70% of mental health issues start during childhood or adolescence.
The Government of Ontario outlines the system challenges in the “Roadmap to Wellness: A Plan to Build Ontario’s Mental Health and Addiction System, 2020” and will impact local needs as outlined:
- Wait Times — Demand for MHA services exceeds available capacity, often resulting in long wait times for services.
- Barriers to Access — Community residents do not know what services exist or where and how to get help.
- Fragmentation — Poor coordination across the system results in inefficiencies and poor client and family experiences as people struggle to navigate between services.
- Uneven Quality — Consistency and quality of services vary from provider to provider and between regions.
- Lack of Data — Communities, service providers and system planners do not have access to the information they need, limiting effective oversight and accountability.
Learn More
- SRPC Forward Together
- Rural Response to COVID-19
- Roadmap to Wellness: A Plan to Build Ontario’s Mental Health and Addiction System, 2020
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Indigenous Issues & Systemic Racism
Question: Why is equity, diversity and inclusion important to communities in Perth-Huron?
Ideal Response
Perth-Huron communities are at a critical point in needing to strengthen an equitable social and economic future. Creating more inclusive and welcoming communities where everyone feels they belong will provide a safe, sustainable future for all.
Action
- Develop training, protocols and accountabilities to ensure a culture of inclusion in workplaces.
- A commitment to an action plan, funding and a timeline to complete all of the Calls of Action and Calls for Justice as soon as possible.
- A commitment to a comprehensive anti-racism action plan to provide directions on initiatives aimed at combatting anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, anti-Asian and all other forms of racism.
Background
Research shows that health, social and economic inequities led to the pandemic having a greater impact on Indigenous, Black, Asian and racialized communities, who are significantly more at risk of exposure to COVID-19 and who experienced far higher rates of infection and mortality than other communities. Workers in these communities experienced much higher rates of unemployment during the pandemic because they faced systemic disadvantages such as lower paid precarious work, fewer career advancement opportunities and less access to basic services.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all parts of the workforce and to ensure a strong economic recovery, we cannot lose sight of the critical economic contribution women and vulnerable populations make. A research paper commissioned by the Huron County Immigration Partnership shows that:[1]
- 8 in 10 Indigenous residents of Perth-Huron report being discriminated against in the past three years.
- 7 in 10 visible minorities say they’ve been discriminated against, compared to 5 in 10 white, non-immigrants.
- To compare, 6 in 10 members of London’s Indigenous population reported discrimination over the same period, while 4 in 10 visible minorities reported at least one act of discrimination since 2018.
The unflattering report comes at a time when Perth-Huron needs to attract more residents to fill hundreds of jobs. Many of those new residents will be visible minorities who have no tolerance for discrimination based on an individual’s skin colour.
Indigenous Peoples:
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action were released in December 2015. More than five years later, only 14 have been completed and 20 have seen no progress at all. It has been over two years since the release of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls report with no plan of action. As the remains of more and more children on the grounds of former residential schools are revealed, non-Indigenous Canadians can no longer turn a blind eye to the structural injustices and violence faced by Indigenous peoples.
Persons with Disabilities:
The pandemic impacted people with disabilities more severely than many Canadians. A Statistics Canada survey showed over one third of people with long-term health conditions or disabilities experienced a temporary or permanent job loss or reduced hours during the pandemic. Over half had difficulty meeting at least one financial obligation or essential need. The pandemic exposed the inadequacy of current financial support provided to persons with disabilities.
Gender Equity:
Women were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, whether because they took on most of the burden of home schooling, child care and elder care, or because they were more likely to be working in the front line service sector and health care jobs, or because they were more likely to have lost work due to the pandemic. Even women in academia published significantly less than in previous years and significantly less than their male counterparts.
Resources
- Discrimination Experienced by Immigrants, Visible Minorities, and Indigenous People in Huron Perth
- Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action
[1] Natalia Lapshina, PhD., Victoria M. Esses, Ph.D. Network for Economic Trends (NEST) Western University. March 2021. Huron County Immigration Partnership. Discrimination Experienced by Immigrants, Visible Minorities, and Indigenous People in Huron Perth
Community Safety and Well-being
Question: What is Community Safety?
Ideal Response
Community safety is about helping communities be and feel safe. It is important that people feel safe where they grow, live, work and spend leisure time. There are ways people can get involved to help improve safety in their own communities. It is a shared responsibility of all members of the community and requires an integrated approach.
Community safety and well-being (CSWB) plans are developed to address root causes of crime and complex social issues by focusing holistically on social development, prevention and risk prevention. These plans recognize that complex issues cannot be addressed in isolation or solely on an incident response basis.
The goal of this plan is to achieve a sustainable community where everyone feels safe, has a sense of belonging, opportunities to participate, and where individuals and families are able to meet their needs for education, health care, food, housing, income, and social and cultural expression.
Action
- Invest in a CSWB implementation plan in Huron County.
- Collaborate and/or coordinate with CSWB implementation in Perth County.
- Invest in community improvement plans that take into consideration social planning.
- Identify indicators to monitor and measure the performance of the collaborative CSWB work and to gain the co-operation of the public with the police in preventing crime.
Background
In January 2019, new requirements for CSWB planning came into force. The Police Services Act, 1990 (PSA) was amended and municipalities across Ontario were given time to develop and adopt a plan.
Municipalities are working on CSWB plans in partnership with multi-sectoral advisory committees including representatives from social and community organizations, school boards, boards of health, the police service and any other local service providers working to protect or enhance safety and well-being (e.g., mental health, addictions, violence against women, affordable and attainable housing, safety, food security and recreational opportunities).
- Gender-Based Violence: Gender-based violence and violence against women includes violence based on gender norms and unequal power dynamics, committed against someone based on their gender, gender expression, gender identity, or perceived gender. It takes many forms, including physical, economic, sexual, as well as emotional abuse.
- Actions:
- Need for gender-based violence prevention and sustainable core funding.
- General public awareness of gender inequity and gender-related oppression.
- Applying a gender lens could make Huron Perth a better community for everyone.
- Need for better access to mental health services and resources for anyone escaping gender-based violence/unsafe domestic situations.
- Actions: