Thornhill picks Conservative Melissa Lantsman as its MP-elect

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 22, 2021

Conservative Thornhill MP-elect Melissa Lantsman says the message from Canadians is clear following the Sept. 20 election: they want politicians to work together in this new minority government.

"I spent the majority of the campaign listening to people's desires and fears," she said following her victory. "People are feeling squeezed, they are working harder, but don't feel like they're getting ahead."

She specifically mentioned infrastructure and the Yonge subway along with affordable housing, cost of living and inflation as her main concerns.

There are countless issues to work on in Thornhill for the next federal government; the question is how important are each and which are the priorities? Well, in the days leading up to the election, the Thornhill Liberal went to the riding’s largest indoor shopping centre, The Promenade Mall, to gauge interest in some of this campaign’s main talking points and to find out what’s on the top of voters’ minds in the lead up to an election that saw another Conservative elected to the riding, which had previously been held by Peter Kent who did not seek re-election.

1. Help small businesses recover: According to surveys, 60 per cent of Canadians spent less money at small businesses and more at large chain retailers. Lily Cohen, 65, who works in Thornhill, believes it’s vital for the next government to get to work on a real plan to bring independent retailers back to the forefront. “It’s important for our country,” she said. “Without small business, Canada wouldn’t be the country it is. Small businesses built this country. They should be spending it on health care and small business.”

2. COVID-19 vaccine passport: In the absence of the federal government, Canada has no uniformity in its approach. As a result, it’s become a patchwork policy with different rules in different provinces. Michelle Ogle, 49, from Thornhill, said her main priority is keeping children in classrooms going forward. The best way to do that in her opinion is for the feds to step in and make vaccines mandatory for all. “They missed 18 months of school, my gut tells me they will send them back (home) again,” she said. “Everyone should be vaccinated; if not, they should be banned from certain things.”

3. Climate change: This issue seems inconvertible, especially with government inaction, while many believe the problem grows in leaps and bounds. Marc Halioua, 75, from Thornhill, said he remembers coming to Canada in the 1960s. Since then, he’s witnessed the climate change and continues to. “When I came to Canada, I had the choice between Brazil and Canada. Brazil is too hot and Canada is too cold,” he said. “I decided to come here, but now it’s too hot compared to what it was in the 1960s.”

4. Shift focus from development to affordable housing, traffic to public transit: While traffic is not necessarily a federal issue, public transit is. And while Ontario is currently taking steps to remedy the mistakes of the past in terms of TTC expansion, some would like more money poured into the issue. “There’s too much traffic and building, no more,” said Pauline Franklin, 79, who lives in Thornhill Village. “I don’t’ use the TTC anymore, but it’s good for the future. It’s too congested, traffic is terrible. If they’re going to build, make it affordable housing.”

5. Fixed date elections should be mandatory: Many remain angry at Justin Trudeau for his seemingly opportune snap election call. Despite legislation that said it was making election cycles fixed, a leader can still decide when elections will take place. Many voice their opposition to this style of electioneering. “(Trudeau) shouldn’t have a federal election in the middle of a pandemic,” said Brooke Simons-Vatch, 17, from Thornhill. “People are vulnerable right now. The election should be held the same day every four years.”