'Their vote counts. It's as simple as that': Winnipeg North residents come together to combat low turnout
Mix of non-voters and dedicated voters pack CBC Manitoba Operation Vote block party
A mix of non-voters and those who never miss an election crowded Selkirk Avenue across from the Bell Tower on Thursday evening for a chance to chat with local candidates.
CBC Manitoba hosted a block party to encourage people of Winnipeg North to vote. In 2015, the federal riding had the lowest voter turnout in the province, with less than 59 per cent.
Hundreds of people showed up and had the chance to speak with the candidates including the Green Party's Sai Rajagopal, Liberal incumbent Kevin Lamoureux and NDP candidate Kyle Mason.
Watch as the incumbent is grilled on federal Indigenous resources:
One of the lowest polling stations in the province in 2015 lies just south of Selkirk Avenue, called Poll 135. That area had a 31 per cent voter turnout in 2015.
Blair Jonasson has never voted before. The Winnipeg North resident and dad says he's "too busy to think about elections."
But he does have some concerns about the neighbourhood that he'd like to see someone address.
"Housing, the school system and the safety," Jonasson said. "The safety and the drugs and the gang trade has to stop."
Jonasson said he needs to see a politician make real change in his area before he goes out to vote.
"I know lots of people see people making promises and not much change. Change would be good, to see people actually doing things."
Watch the Green candidate chat health coverage:
'I want change'
Angie Fleury has voted in the past, but she's undecided for this election. The Winnipeg North resident says she wants to see a safe house in her area for people who are suffering from addictions and for those who are homeless.
"I don't remember who I voted for last year, but I did check that box and I don't see a difference," said Fleury of the last federal election.
"I want a change. With the meth crisis in this city, it's pretty bad."
She said if people in neighbourhoods like Poll 135 voted, things would be very different.
"Their vote counts. It's as simple as that," she said. "Maybe things would work out how people want them. Maybe the crime rate would go down, but we won't know until more people vote."
Watch what the NDP candidate has to say on universal pharmacare:
'If you don't vote, I don't want to hear from you again'
Non-voters are something Karen Tesser has no patience for. Tesser grew up on Pritchard Avenue, and now lives right by the Bell Tower on Selkirk Avenue. She said the cleanliness of her neighbourhood needs to improve, as well as the safety. She just witnessed a machete attack in her building Thursday afternoon.
"If you don't vote, I don't want to hear from you again," she said.
"If we don't do it, the one per cent is going to take over. That's going to be the vote, the people who have money and are educated."
As part of a series of stories titled Operation Vote, CBC Manitoba is talking with people in the Poll 135 polling area about voter turnout, and what it would take for some non-voters to mark an "X" on a federal election ballot.
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With files from CBC Manitoba's Up to Speed