Episode 47 - Getting involved in the Municipal Elections through civic literacy with Sterling Downey and Elections Montreal

Welcome to Season 8 Episode 1 of What's Literacy Got To Do With It? by Literacy Quebec!

In today's episode, we have two very special guests who will share their perspectives and encourage you to head back to the polls on November 6 and 7th; with the federal elections still fresh in our minds, you may be wondering why you should bother with voting in the upcoming municipal elections that are taking place across Quebec this November. We are taking a backstage view this week by hearing the story of how someone gets into politics and the importance of communication and reaching out to local representatives.

We are joined today by:

• Sterling Downey, City councillor for Verdun borough council and the Deputy Mayor of Montreal;
  As someone with a long beard, tattoos and a long history of graffiti, Sterling is not your typical politician. Learn about his inspirational life story and find out how he ended up in politics.
• André Chapleau, spokesperson for Elections Montreal;
  Andre lets us know why it is important to participate in municipal elections and shares the steps to take if it is your first time voting.

Links:

• Have questions or need help? Contact Literacy Quebec's Literacy Helpline or call 1-888-521-8181
• MediaSmart's resources on Media & Digital Literacy and more on the upcoming Media Literacy Week in October 25-30th, 2021
• Check out resources on how to vote through Elections Quebec and Elections Montreal. Call 514 872-VOTE (8683)
• Youth under 18 can get involved in the election too! Check out: https://elections.montreal.ca/en/young-vote/
• Connect and learn more about Sterling Downey here
  
  For all upcoming literacy events check out our members' websites and social media for updates

What's Literacy Got To Do With It? is a community-based podcast for English-speaking, lifelong literacy learners in Quebec. Our hosts Chris Shee and Jaimie Cudmore from Literacy Quebec, explore topics around community building, lifelong curiosity, and the multiple types of literacy. It's incredible what we can learn from each other.

Subscribe, share our podcast, and write to us at admin@literacyquebec.org, call us at 514-508-6805. Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for videos of interviews and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @LiteracyQuebec

Special thanks: Podcast Theme Music by Gerry Legault and the Literacy Quebec Team