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<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><b><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold'>FAIR VOTE <st1:country-region w:st="on">CANADA</st1:country-region>
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">WATERLOO</st1:place></st1:City> REGION
CHAPTER NEWSLETTER<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><b><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold'>ISSUE #1, 2008<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><u><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>HAPPY NEW YEAR AND ON WITH THE <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">BATTLE</st1:place></st1:City>!<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> I wish a joyous and prosperous new year to all members of the
Waterloo Region Fair Vote Canada Chapter. Now that three months have passed
since the referendum vote, and the hectic holiday season is behind us, the time
has come to resume our activities to advocate for a fair voting system in our
province and country. My intention is that this newsletter will be the first
of four newsletters that you will receive throughout the year (one for each
quarter) to update you on chapter activities. Please let me know if you have
ideas for newsletter content or have an article to submit. I also welcome
suggestions for chapter activities. I look forward to working with all of you
in the coming year to continue the fight for a better democracy!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Angela Yenssen, Chair, Fair Vote <st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region>
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Waterloo</st1:place></st1:City> Region
Chapter<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>ayenssen@rogers.com<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>(519) 747-3825<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><u><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>CHANGE IN LISTSERVE AND WEBSITE ADMINISTRATOR<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> Thank you to Bob Jonkman who has volunteered to assume
responsibility for administration of the Waterloo Region Chapter website and
e-mail listserve. Bob is taking over this position from Paul Nijjar. Paul
established the chapter computer infrastructure. We thank Paul for his efforts
and wish him well in future endeavours. We look forward to working with Bob to
continue our regular communication with current members and to recruit new
members through the Internet. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><u><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>THANKS TO RETIRING BOARD MEMBERS<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> Our chapter has lost two board members in the past two months.
Brian Tanguay resigned from the board due to the need to balance his multiple
commitments and hectic schedule. We thank Brian for his hard work during the
referendum campaign. He won the award for completing the most public debates
for our chapter during the campaign!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Derek Kraan has also left our board since he is traveling overseas to
study for the next few months. Derek was one of the founding co-chairs of the
chapter. We thank him for his hard work and dedication to start the chapter
and raise awareness about MMP during the referendum campaign. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><u><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>WELCOME TO NEW BOARD MEMBER<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Derek and Brian’s resignations reduced our chapter board to three
individuals: Angela Yenssen (chair), Kevin Smith (secretary-treasurer), and
Shannon Adshade (member at large). Fortunately, Donna Reid, the leader of the
Cambridge Vote for MMP team, has agreed to fill one of the vacancies on the
board. Donna has a long history of political activity and social activism, and
is a fantastic addition to our team. Welcome aboard Donna! <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><u><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR THE BOARD OF THE CHAPTER</span></font></u><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>We still need to fill one of the vacancies on the chapter board. Our
by-laws state that we need five to seven board members to operate our chapter,
so we need at least one more volunteer to join the board to keep the chapter
viable. Our annual general meeting will be held in late April so anyone who
steps forward at this point to volunteer is only committed to April. The
meeting schedule will not be rigorous because the course of our local activism
will be somewhat uncertain until a provincial direction is established (see
article below). We need to have a full slate of board members elected at the
annual general meeting so that we do not have to disband the chapter. Please
contact Angela Yenssen (contact information above) if you are able to join the
board until April. Please also consider running for the board in April so we
can continue our chapter for another year. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><u><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>PROVINCIAL TEAM TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY FOR ELECTORAL
REFORM IN <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">ONTARIO</st1:place></st1:State><o:p></o:p></span></font></u></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> Fair Vote <st1:State w:st="on">Ontario</st1:State> has
established a strategy team to develop a plan for advocating for electoral
reform in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Ontario</st1:State></st1:place>
in light of events related to the referendum campaign. The team will begin
meeting in January. Angela Yenssen, Chair of the Waterloo Region Fair Vote
Canada Chapter, will represent Waterloo Region (and apparently also people in
the 25-35 age demographic) on the strategy team. There are nine other members
of the team: June MacDonald from Toronto (currently President of Fair Vote
Ontario because Joe Murray resigned after the referendum due to family
commitments), Wilf Day (long time member of the Fair Vote Canada board and the
organization’s legal expert), Linda Sheppard (leader of the Toronto Fair
Vote Chapter), Stephana Johnson (rural Ontario representative), Gerry Kirk
(Northern Ontario representative), Rick Anderson (referendum campaign chair),
Peter Black (head of local organizing during the referendum and eastern Ontario
representative), Mark Greenan (student/youth representative), Larry Gordon
(executive director of Fair Vote Canada). <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> Angela Yenssen will keep Waterloo Region Chapter members updated
about the strategy team’s progress. Please forward any suggestions you
have for a provincial strategy to Angela, and she will convey them to the
strategy team. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><u><font size=2
face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>WATERLOO</span></font></u></st1:place></st1:City><u>
REGION STRATEGY NEEDED <o:p></o:p></u></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> The board members of the Waterloo Region Chapter will be meeting
over the next couple of months to review the referendum results in the region
in detail and to formulate a local activism strategy for the next year. Our
referendum postmortem analysis and strategy suggestions will be presented to
the membership at the annual general meeting. Please contact Angela Yenssen
(contact information above) with any ideas for the board to consider. Please
also contact Angela to inform the chapter board of your interests if you would
like to assist with chapter activities other than joining the board (such as
letter writing). Any contribution that you can make to this cause is
valuable. Knowing the volunteer base and interest for the chapter will help
board members to plan our strategy for the future. Although the referendum
result was disheartening, the process has at least started a conversation about
electoral reform among the members of the general public in the province. If
we continue our fight, we still have a chance to make our dream of a better
democracy a reality. Let’s make 2008 a year in which we raise more
support for our cause! <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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