[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Jacob]

Vancouver City Hall election coming up on Nov 15th. Less colourful than the Toronto one, so far. It's also the first election my wife can vote in since becoming a citizen.

[crazy canuck]

Vancouver City Hall election coming up on Nov 15th. Less colourful than the Toronto one, so far. It's also the first election my wife can vote in since becoming a citizen.

My prediction is that the teflon man will get re-elected.

[Jacob]

Vancouver City Hall election coming up on Nov 15th. Less colourful than the Toronto one, so far. It's also the first election my wife can vote in since becoming a citizen.

My prediction is that the teflon man will get re-elected.

Do you have a preferred candidate or key issues you think Vancouverites should care about?

Neither my wife and I have really paid much attention to city politics previously, some I'm trying to design a crash course for us to develop an informed opinion by election day. Your input would be appreciated

[crazy canuck]

Vancouver City Hall election coming up on Nov 15th. Less colourful than the Toronto one, so far. It's also the first election my wife can vote in since becoming a citizen.

My prediction is that the teflon man will get re-elected.

Do you have a preferred candidate or key issues you think Vancouverites should care about?

Neither my wife and I have really paid much attention to city politics previously, some I'm trying to design a crash course for us to develop an informed opinion by election day. Your input would be appreciated

I am not sure what the NPA platform is so I cant really help you.  I do know that the current mayor and council have done a very good job at escaping scrutiny largely because of a somewhat adoring local/muncipal media.  But here is one opinion piece that stands out from the crowd.

http://blogs.theprovince.com/2014/09/29/robert-macdonald-olympic-village-mess-is-nothing-to-celebrate/

[Josephus]

 I didn't think you had to be Canadian to vote in municipal elections? Maybe that's an Ontario thing--or maybe they changed the law.

[crazy canuck]

I didn't think you had to be Canadian to vote in municipal elections? Maybe that's an Ontario thing--or maybe they changed the law.

From the Vancouver website:

You can vote in a municipal election if you:

•Live within the City of Vancouver (resident elector), or
•Own property in the City of Vancouver, but live elsewhere in BC (non-resident property elector)
Live in Vancouver?

You are also required to be:

1.Age 18 or older on voting day (November 15, 2014)
2.A Canadian citizen
3.A resident of BC for at least six months immediately before the day you register to vote
4.A resident of Vancouver for at least 30 days immediately before the day you register to vote
5.Not disqualified by law from voting in an election (see below)

[Grey Fox]

Only in-province non-resident voting.

My city has Canada-wide property owner voting. About 50 register each cycle.

[crazy canuck]

Josephus,

I looked at the Provincial legislation which sets out voting requirements and it requires Canadian citizenship for both resident and non-resident (ie property owners) voters.  I am not sure what the requirement is in Ontario.

Resident electors
50  (1) In order to be registered as a resident elector of a municipality or electoral area, a person must meet all the following requirements on the day of registration:

(a) the person must be

(i)   an individual who is 18 years of age or older on the day of registration, or

(ii)   if an election is in progress for the municipality or electoral area, an individual who will be 18 years of age or older on general voting day for the election;

(b) the person must be a Canadian citizen;

(c) the person must have been a resident of British Columbia, as determined in accordance with section 52, for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration;

(d) the person must have been a resident of the municipality or electoral area, as determined in accordance with section 52, for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration;

(e) the person must not be disqualified under this or any other enactment from voting in an election or be otherwise disqualified by law.

(2) If the boundaries of a municipality or electoral area are extended or a new municipality is incorporated, a person is deemed to have satisfied the requirement of subsection (1) (d) if, for at least 30 days before the person applies for registration as an elector, the person has been a resident, as determined in accordance with section 52, of the area that is included in the municipality or electoral area or becomes the new municipality.

Non-resident property electors
51  (1) In order to be registered as a non-resident property elector of a municipality or electoral area, a person must meet all the following requirements on the day of registration:

(a) the person must not be entitled to register as a resident elector of the municipality or electoral area;

(b) the person must be

(i)   an individual who is 18 years of age or older on the day of registration, or

(ii)   if an election is in progress for the municipality or electoral area, an individual who will be 18 years of age or older on general voting day for the election;

(c) the person must be a Canadian citizen;

(d) the person must have been a resident of British Columbia, as determined in accordance with section 52, for at least 6 months immediately before the day of registration;

(e) the person must have been a registered owner of real property in the municipality or electoral area for at least 30 days immediately before the day of registration;

(f) the only persons who are registered owners of the real property, either as joint tenants or tenants in common, are individuals who are not holding the property in trust for a corporation or another trust;

(g) the person must not be disqualified under this Act or any other enactment from voting in an election or be otherwise disqualified by law.

(2) A person may only register as a non-resident property elector in relation to one parcel of real property in a municipality or electoral area.

(3) If the boundaries of a municipality or electoral area are extended or if a new municipality is incorporated, a person is deemed to have satisfied the requirement of subsection (1) (e) if, for at least 30 days before the person applies for registration as a non-resident property elector, the person has been a registered owner of property within the area that is included in the municipality or electoral area or becomes the new municipality.

(4) For the purposes of this section, the registered owner of real property means whichever of the following is applicable:

(a) the owner of a registered estate in fee simple of the property, unless another person holds an interest in the property referred to in paragraphs (b) to (d);

(b) the holder of the last registered agreement for sale, unless another person holds an interest in the property referred to in paragraph (c) or (d);

(c) the tenant for life under a registered life interest in the property, unless another person holds an interest in the property referred to in paragraph (d);

(d) the holder of a registered lease of the property for a term of at least 99 years.

(5) If there is more than one individual who is the registered owner of real property, either as joint tenants or tenants in common, only one of those individuals may register as a non-resident property elector under this section in relation to the real property.

(6) If the land title registration of the real property in relation to which a person is registering under this section indicates that there is more than one individual who is the registered owner of the real property, the person registering must do so with the written consent of the number of those individuals who, together with the person registering, are a majority of those individuals.

(7) A registered owner who has consented to the registration of another registered owner of the property may withdraw the consent by delivering a written withdrawal to the municipality or regional district.

(8) Once a withdrawal of consent has been delivered in accordance with subsection (7), the person registered as the non-resident property elector in relation to the property ceases to be entitled to be registered and vote as such if the number of individuals referred to in subsection (6) falls below a majority of the registered owners, with this effective

(a) for the next election, in the case of a withdrawal delivered at least 52 days before general voting day for the election, and

(b) following the next election, in the case of a withdrawal delivered less than 52 days before general voting day for the election

[Jacob]

I didn't think you had to be Canadian to vote in municipal elections? Maybe that's an Ontario thing--or maybe they changed the law.

You do, and my wife is

[Josephus]

Yeah, here they changed the laws in the 90s sometime. At one point, citizenship was not a requirement, only residence.

[crazy canuck]

Thinking of reading Party of One.  But I get the sense the Josephus and I have already talked about pretty much everything that would be in the book.

[Josephus]

Thinking of reading Party of One.  But I get the sense the Josephus and I have already talked about pretty much everything that would be in the book.

LOL...I read the review...Yeah we could a' written it. 

[Josephus]

In other news, the Toronto Star has officially endorsed John Tory, an ex-Conservative Party MPP for mayor of Toronto over Olivia Chow, Jack Layton's widow.

What next? Catholic Church approves divorce?

[PRC]

Too quiet in here.

Wonder what ever happened to this chick?

Forget about the page... let's talk about the guy.  That's the Sergeant-At-Arms who shot the assailant today.

From the Calgary Sun:

http://www.calgarysun.com/2014/10/22/parliament-hill-shooting-sergeant-at-arms-kevin-vickers-the-family-hero-who-took-down-ottawa-gunman

He's being called a hero for shooting a rampaging gunman dead on Parliament Hill — and it may mark the first time Sergeant-At-Arms Kevin Vickers has ever fired a gun in the line of duty.

"This the first time in his career that he's shot anyone," said Erin, Vickers' niece.

A retired RCMP officer who once served in Calgary, 58-year-old Vickers is known to most Canadians as the symbol of order at the House of Commons: a grey-haired man in a black hat and robes, often carrying the ceremonial sceptre of Canada over his shoulder.

On Wednesday, Vickers reportedly showed just how serious his role really is, the head of security for Canada's government killing a gunman who charged into the Centre Block on Parliament Hill.

"To all in Ottawa, stay safe & strong. Thank God for Sgt at Arms Kevin Vickers & our Cdn security forces. True heroes ..." tweeted Minister Peter MacKay.

Julian Fantino, Canada's Minister of Veterans Affairs, added his own tweet of gratitude.

"I am safe & profoundly grateful to Sgt at Arms Kevin Vickers & our security forces for selfless act of keeping us safe."

After the shooting, Vickers immediately contacted his family in New Brunswick to tell them he is safe — "I'm doing okay," he said — but that hasn't stopped them worrying about the emotional trauma that will follow, having being forced to pull the trigger for the first time.

"We're always very proud of Kevin, but at this moment we are concerned about him — he had to make a very serious decision today," said Mary, Vicker's older sister.

"He's always a natural leader — he would not have taken this decision lightly, and I can't stress that enough — but he would always expect of himself to do what he would expect of the men and women under him."

Raw footage of the Centre Block attack show officers and guards moving cautiously down the hall, before gunfire suddenly erupts, with dozens of shots echoing in the distance.

Various witnesses have credited Vickers with leading the security response and killing the infiltrator, a man who may have been the same cold-blooded murderer who gunned down an unarmed solider outside the national cenotaph moments before.

Anyone who thought Canada's Sergeant-At-Arms role was an archaic novelty now understands the man holding the sceptre has a deadly serious job.

"It's not ceremonial at all, and he has tremendous responsibility — and he wears it well," said Mary.

In an RCMP career spanning 29 years, Vickers rose up the ranks from a constable in the Northwest Territories to serving ten years in Alberta, and then to chief superintendent in Ottawa.

After retiring from the force, he took the Sergeant-At-Arms job on Parliament Hill, and was once famously photographed escorting a protestor masquerading as a page from the House of Commons.

His niece Erin says her uncle is a calm, gentle man — but someone who handles pressure with utmost calm.

"He's a thoughtful and considerate person — he's halfway to a saint in my opinion," she said.

"He's a very capable human being."

[Josephus]

She got off lucky, in hindsight.