Aanii boozhoo. Niin Lo-Anne Chan nindizhinikaaz.
Je me présente comme candidat pour le NPD parce que je crois dans l'importance du représentation divers qui reflète notre communauté.
When someone is speaking in a language that we don't understand, we might become confused, frustrated and disengaged. For many people in Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong, that's how they feel about the government and our elected representatives. The people who were chosen to represent them, don't make them feel like they are understood, nor listen to their experiences, or value their existence. Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong is made up of a beautifully diverse collection of communities, each with needs and desires that reflect their hopes and dreams for the future. When we look to our elected officials, we want to see someone that understands the unique challenges we face every day - they don’t have to have personally lived it, but they need to be willing to sit with us and learn from us.
In 2022 when I was asked to run during Sarnia’s municipal election, I wanted to make sure that our youth felt empowered and that their voices were heard, so I organized a Meet & Greet specifically for 16-24 year olds so they could ask us candidates directly the questions that mattered the most to them. I reached out and met with various cultural clubs to make sure they knew that their opinions mattered and that their collective votes held power. I was able to do that again this election to really understand what mattered most to the various groups that make up Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong.
As a small business owner, I’ve connected with farmers across Lambton County to bring light to the economic hardships they face due to climate emergencies such as deteriorating infrastructure leading to flooding their fields after heavy rains. I collaborated with local farms to create a signature Farmers Blend kimchi which saved 70 kg of crops that would have otherwise been written off as loss, and brought attention to the rural-urban disconnect that is often an obstacle between Sarnia and the rest of Lambton County.
I’ve connected with various cultural groups to hear their experiences of living in Sarnia-Lambton as visible minorities who have to work harder just for the opportunity to be seen as equal. Whether facing racism and job loss blame, or having their Islamophobia experiences dismissed as anti-Semitism—many hardworking professionals endure hate for their skin color and voice.
Just a few weeks ago, I called on our community to donate bottled water to make sure that Bkejwanong Walpole Island First Nation was able to access clean drinking water after they were affected by the crude oil spill in the St Clair River - and I heard that the NDP were the only ones to reach out and offer support.
Despite all the uncertainty surrounding this election, when I talk to people at the doors, I’m seeing hope for the future, our families, and our community. People are exercising their right to vote for the first time because they see someone who shows up, listens to their concerns, and gets the job done. Not in exchange for a vote but for the betterment of the community and the people within it. Canadians shouldn't have to choose between supporting equity-deserving communities or investing in the economy.
The NDP is a people-first party, and we will always fight to ensure that the government will take care of the people of Canada. We're the ones making sure that there is infrastructure in place to connect farmers and rural communities to the technology and tools they need. We understand the pressures on small business owners to take care of their employees - so we pushed the Liberal government to implement pharmacare and dental care, taking the financial pressure off your expenses and helping your bottom line. We've proven that even with a few seats, New Democrats deliver real results that improve people's lives.
We deserve a government that sees us for all our beautiful identities. Where our differences are embraced and we invite each other in. Somewhere along the way our government wavered from this and let us down. Instead of holding our politicians accountable, we got angry and turned on each other.
As a member of the NDP, and more importantly, as a member of this community, I'll make sure that Ottawa listens to the diverse needs of our riding, that the government is held accountable to their promises and that ALL the identities that make up our community are represented.
I'm Lo-Anne Chan, and I'm in it for you.