[fvc-wat-disc] Minutes from August 21 meeting

[Paul Nijjar]

Fair Vote Canada, Waterloo Region: August 27 Meeting Minutes
============================================================

Present:

Shannon Adshade, Graham Engel, Maxine Jacklin, Bob Jonkman, Paul
Nijjar, Marcia Soeda, Brian Tanguay, Angela Yenssen

Regrets: Derek Kraan, Kevin Smith

Approval of Agenda
------------------
- Added WLU frosh kit handouts to campus organizing
- Added volunteer recruitment as section 4.5

Minutes
-------
- Approved without modification

Canvassing
----------
- Concentrate on small communities rather than cities (better
   response, more expectations of face to face interactions)
   + Bob will take on Elmira
   + Shannon will take on (some of) Cambridge
   + Brian will take on New Hamburg
   + We can put out a call for other canvassers as well

- Towns in Kitchener-Conestoga to hit: St. Clements, St. Jacobs,
   Elmira, Wellesley, Baden, New Hamburg, New Dundee, Linwood

- In addition to small towns we can take on our own neighbourhoods

- There was some discussion of whether to target people we know are
   going to vote as opposed to people who are disenfranchised. It
   appears that targetting voters is more of a priority.

- Bob expressed concerns that we need to understand something in order
   to canvas effectively. Suggestion: staff a booth (e.g. at the
   Farmer's market) to get familiar with the issues.

- Current list of canvassers: Kevin, Derek, Brian, Bob, Rick Fairman

- Do we hit university communities? Maybe the campus groups should
   handle this?

- We discussed literature drops vs. face-to-face doorknocking
   + Doorknocking is slower and scarier, but more effective
   + High school students might be better off doing literature drops
   + We can try to literature drop in more places than we door-knock

- Idea: sign up with Elections Ontario to verify voters list, and tell
   people that the referendum is happening (without advocating a side)
   + This is risky and probably against the rules
   + Elections Ontario likely has strict rules as to what people can
   say

- We will start canvassing after Labour Day (maybe the first weekend
   after: Saturday Sept 8?

- We send our canvassing progress to Angela, who will make sire we do
   not cover places multiple times


Attracting Volunteers
---------------------

- Can high school students do canvassing/referendum stuff for their
volunteer hours?
   + Would need to be approved with principals
   + Angela will contact school boards
   + Graham will ask some people at Bluevale whether they want to get
   involved

- Marcia will ask at the Volunteer Action Centre

- We will all make friends and then bring a friend to the next meeting

- Kevin has contact with unions and social planning councils. Maybe he
   can convince them to give us warm bodies?

Cambridge Group/Merger
----------------------

- Brian attended the last meeting; Shannon also saw Donna Reid
   + The Cambridge group can decide whether to formally merge with us
   + We have executive spots open if the group wants some
   + 9 people were at their last meeting; one person was enthusiastic
   about a merger
   + Nobody wants to step on each other's toes or duplicate work

- We should try to get on the Cambridge mailing lists and get good
   communication links going
   + Donna Reid and Gareth White are the people to contact about this
   + Shannon is willing to attend the Cambridge meetings.
   + Is anybody from their group willing to attend ours?

- We probably will give the bulk of Cambridge referendum organizing to
   the Cambridge group regardless of merger

- Their next meeting: Monday Sept 27

Outreach Activities:
--------------------

- Should we do mailouts in the Record? In the Waterloo Chronicle?
   + This is likely expensive. (Did somebody agree to price this out?)

- High schools:
   + High school assemblies are probably not going to happen. Schools
     have not been receptive so far.
   + There are Grade 10 Civics classes that we could try to reach
   + Should we make packages/kits (including the OCA videos) to give to
     schools?
   + Angela will investigate the possibilities here.

- Radio:
   + Marcia has contacted AM 570 but got no response yet
   + We can phone their number (519.570.1400) to make suggestions

- Newspapers:
   + Phil from the Record was taking pictures of our chairs
   + There will likely be an MMP article in Saturday's paper
   + Shannon reports there have been three recent articles in the
   Cambridge Times
   + Graham reports that there was an article in Ontario Nursing
   Magazine

- Farmer's Markets:
   + Saturday Aug 25: Marcia, Paul
   + Sunday Aug 26: Bob, Paul

   + Saturday Sept 1: Paul, ??
   + Sunday Sept 2: Angela, Bob

   + We will need Kevin's help to set up on the Saturday
   + Marcia will bring books and the display board (which we will
     presumably leave at the market)
   + Sundays in September are better for Angela, Brian. Saturdays are
     preferable for Paul. Marcia is tentative, but may be able to help
     every other week.

- Panel Discussions
   + Sept 19, WLU, 4:30pm: Brian, Matthew Certosimo (OCA), Jim
     Breithaupt (former Kitchener Centre MPP)
   + Sept 19, UW, 7:00pm: Steve Withers (!), Marcia, Brian, Ron
     VanKoughnett?
     * Bob will pick up Steve Withers from Mississauga
     * Brian will drive Steve back to the Kitchener bus terminal and
       abandon him there
   + Oct 1, WLU, 7:00pm: Marcia, others TBA (Brian again?)

- Information Nights
   + Paul will do Sept 11
   + Need to update posters in KPL, etc (who? Me?)
   + Need to update community events listings: Record, ECHO, Elmira
     Independent, Woolwich Observer (Paul)
   + What other advertising venues exist?
   + Should we expect bigger turnouts now?

- KPL Debate? No word yet. Kevin may have more news.

- Council Presentations
   + Brian will speak at Regional Council this Thursday, 7:00pm
   + Angela will speak in Kitchener, Oct 1 (televised meeting)
   + Sept 17 is open in Cambridge. Angela can do it or somebody from
     the Cambridge group can handle it. [Who will work this out with
     Cambridge? -ed]

- All Candidates Meetings
   + Sept 20, 6:30pm, Cambridge Social Planning Council: Brian, Shannon
     (Brian has 10 minutes on the agenda)

   + Sept 11, Kitchener, Women in Politics: Angela

   + Cambridge Federal Liberals have their nomination meeting in early
     September. Paul will follow up.

   + Need to get list of upcoming all-candidates meetings. Paul will
     contact some people in the parties to get information. [Can others
     help with this? -ed]

   + Other likely candidates: The Record, Chamber of Commerce
     * We should have our display at all of these events

   + Can we get ourselves invited to some debates?


- Local Referendum Officers
   + Their offices will not be accessible until Aug 27 (they say...)
   + We want to get contact information for all our local
     representatives. Paul will look into this.

   + Elections Ontario has mailed out the first of three handouts about
     the election/referendum. The next few will have more about the
     referendum.

- Unions and Social Planning Council
   + One union might give us $500
   + A school teacher's group may give us $200
   + Kevin will update us with other news

- Festivals
   + No more festivals? [Then we started organizing them.. -ed]
   + Sept 27: Nudge festival at the Wax Nightclub
     * Graham can do the latter half, Laurier students or Paul can do
       the former half
   + Fall fairs: Maxine may attend some, but we will not focus on
     organizing these.
   + Kitchener market? Paul says we don't qualify for charitable
     booths. Graham says Greenpeace was leafletting the market.
   + Oktoberfest: need to hear from Dave Arthur.
   + Wellesley Apple Butter: Angela is getting through to them
   + Elmira Fall Fair is no more
   + Cambridge Fall Fair is the weekend of Labour Day. Shannon will
     investigate?

- Pamphlets for Laurier
   + Laurier frosh kits can take neutral information.
   + Elections Ontario material won't be ready in time. OCA material
     is not neutral enough.
   + Bob volunteered his wife Lori to do the design.
   + Graham and Paul will cost out printing options (1/2 page or 1/3
     page, black and white, double-sided?)

- Campus Organizing
   + How can we book concourse tables at Laurier?

- Webpage
   + Our wiki list of events sucks and is terrible
   + Bob will investigate better calendar options


Speaking Engagements and Speaker's Bureau
-----------------------------------------

- Currently: Angela, Brian, Graham, Paul

- Angela is holding a training session Aug 28
  +  Some recruits may come from the WLUFVC club

- Marcia is an OCA speaker, and is expecting to get more calls

- Beaver Creek Co-op: Paul will follow up (and speak)

Updates from the Provincial Campaign
------------------------------------

- Financing Rules
   + The provincial office is handling all finances
   + We give all money to provincial office, and they give it back
   + Any money we raised since July needs to be sent through
   + Angela will inquire about casual (< $25) donations. Do they need
     names and addresses?
   + Paul worried whether we would be allowed to continue using the FSW
     building
   + What about the money we have raised to this point? Do we keep it
     and not spend it in the referendum?
   + Cheques should be made out to "Vote for MMP" and the memo should
     be to Waterloo Region

- Campaign Structure
   + Steve Withers is being freed up for more speaking engagements.
     Another fellow named "Dan" will be doing chapter outreach.
   + They have hired Christine to keep track of the books.
   + Larry Gordon is concentrating on overall campaign management

- Opposition
   + Not much opposition organized yet.
   + nommp.ca people are up and running (and have a K-W chapter?)

Treasurer's Report
------------------

- $120 in the bank
- Possibly $700 more in donations

Campaign Office
---------------

- Brian contacted Scott Piatkowski. Few places are available for
   short-term rent and they are mostly expensive.
- We are forgoing a campaign office

Next Meeting
------------
- No meeting at Faculty of Social Work on Aug 28
- We will meet on Mondays rather than Tuesdays
- Next meeting: Sept 10 (if we can book it)


--
Paul Nijjar - http://www.fairvotecanada.org/WaterlooRegion
Next electoral reform info night: Tuesday Sept 11, 7pm