By Les Kom
Going door-to-door for a municipal candidate is a learning experience. And the first thing I learn is that Ottawa homes are well-populated with dogs of all shapes and sizes. They loyally guard the homestead on behalf of their absent masters, and an innocent bell-push or door-knock can trigger a ferocious round of barking. Some guards even leap against the door, trying to crash through to reach the ruffian outside. Then again, if the master is home and opens the door, the situation changes instantly, and I must quickly assess the polymarket odds that the owner will successfully restrain the dog during a lunging attack.
So my new definition of courage? Pushing a candidate’s flyer through an old-school mail slot with a resistant flap, requiring the pusher (me) to follow through until my fingers are exposed on the inside to, let’s be honest, the local Hound of the Baskervilles.
Counting my fingers, I continue on and enjoy some truly great conversations with residents. People are thoughtful and more engaged than perhaps was the case in the past. Asking what is top-of-mind for voters brings valuable answers and recurring themes: transit, appropriate development, parking, safety/crime/drugs, taxes, parks and recreation facilities, tree protection, bikes vs. cars vs. walkers, storm sewers, support for the arts, return to office, and the effectiveness of public consultations – are these a waste of our valuable time, some ask? So the best conversations are two-way, including both a pitch for the candidate and some terrific feedback.
Also great are the Hallowe’en decorations that spring up in the closing weeks of the campaign. Super creative! One of my favourites was a huge two-storey skeleton – completely homemade from old metal tubes with a giant paper cut-out for the spooky head. There are also some lovely gardens, with not only colourful flowers and shrubs but also vegetables, as residents deal with the cost of groceries these days.
A particular twist comes with the many apartment buildings, especially condominiums. Election rules allowing flyers to be left in the lobby may clash with the “house rules” against flyers in a specific building, leaving those residents wondering if they need to replace ineffective condo board members – who themselves may be delighted to be removed from a thankless task!
And how about the video doorbells that have spread around our city? What’s the right etiquette here: pretend there’s no camera and focus straight ahead on the front door; or assume you’re being livestreamed somewhere on the planet so might as well face the doorbell, flash the pearly whites, and wave the latest flyer? Can they hear you, too… should you let loose with the 30-second elevator speech… which would look totally bizarre if the bell is video-only?
All in all, it’s been a great experience. We value democracy, but it takes work and engagement to keep democracy healthy. It’s definitely a tall order to put yourself out there as a Candidate. A huge commitment that deserves our appreciation! This commitment motivates some of us to volunteer as canvassers, and we’re conscious that every single vote counts if the candidate’s major effort is to be rewarded.
I keep this in mind as I carry on to the next door, my senses on high alert for dog detection. Naturally, the hound sniffs me out first and thus begins the next canine symphony, Opus 2026, “Canvasser’s Delight,” allegro con vivace.
