Huron Expositor, 2014-06-25, Page 7Wednesday, June 25, 2014 • Huron Expositor 7
Number of declined ballots soars in 2014 Ontario election
QMI Agency
'None of the above' soared
in popularity in the Ontario
election.
A review by Sun Media's
Ian Adams of unofficial Elec-
tions Ontario results
revealed that 31,399 voters
declined their ballots in this
month's provincial election
compared to just 2,335 in the
2011 campaign.
Duff Conacher, founder of
Democracy Watch, said the
number of declined ballots
in the June 12 election was a
record high for the province.
An average of about 3,000
voters declined to mark their
ballots in provincial elec-
tions with the notable excep-
tion of the 1990 campaign
where just over 20,000 peo-
ple sent a political message
by refusing to support any of
the candidates, he said.
At just over 12,000, the
number of ballots left blank
was also the highest since
1975, he said.
"All of the polls over the
last 20 years have shown that
voter turnout has dropped
because of people's disgust
with dishonesty, unethical
behaviour, waste, excessive
secrecy and unrepresented
decisions by politicians and
governments," Conacher
said Thursday. "So people
know if they vote for a candi-
date and a party they're not
likely to get what they want
even if their party wins
because half the promises
were likely false promises to
bait them to vote for the
party!'
Polling also suggests some
people decline a ballot in
protest of an electoral system
where they feel forced to
vote strategically or their
vote doesn't count, he said.
A voter who supports a
party which does not run a
candidate in their riding
also might refuse a ballot,
he said.
"If you spoil your ballot,
no one knows if you're just
not capable of marking an
X properly or whether you
did it on purpose ... and
that's why the decline -
your -ballot option is there
to allow you to say more
directly 'none of the
above," Conacher said.
An Elections Ontario
spokesperson said it is not
the agency's role to speculate
why a voter would decline a
ballot, spoil it or leave it
unmarked.
Father's Day at Cavan
Ruth Campbell
Winthrop correspondent
We had some rain, which
was needed, and now are
enjoying warm summer
days.
Hay is being harvested
and the grass is growing.
Service at Cavan United
was led by Rev. Mary
Fletcher. As this was Father's
Day, her message was titled
"Family Resemblance!' Sev-
eral fathers from the Bible
were mentioned - Abraham,
Absalom (David's son),
Isaac, and Joseph, father of
Jesus.
The choir sang "Are You a
Shepherd?"
Carol and Francis Hunt
were greeters and collectors.
There will be no services at
Cavan during July.
Sympathy of the commu-
nity is extended to the family
of Don McClure, who passed
away recently.
Don lived his whole life
in the Winthrop area. After
Winthrop built the ball-
park, Don spent many
hours as an umpire at
games. He spent many
hours doing this in the
summer and coaching
hockey in the winter. He
certainly enjoyed these
sports.
Brian and Susan Mac-
Donald now have a second
grandson, Evran. Daugh-
ter Stephanie and her hus-
band of the Toronto area
have a new son.
Food for Thought
Getting back on the right
track usually involves getting
out of a rut.
Gateway to introduce new project
For the Expositor
Gateway Centre of Excel-
lence in Rural Health (for-
merly Gateway Rural Health
Research Institute) is
pleased to announce the
launch of a new project
which will involve seniors
mentoring community
members who are approach-
ing retirement. Retiring
Well: Considering the Costs
of Good Health is a collabo-
ration between the Univer-
sity of Waterloo School of
Pharmacy and Gateway Cen-
tre of Excellence in Rural
Health and is funded by the
New Horizons for Seniors
Program, provided through
Human Resources and Skills
Development Canada.
Rural areas face many
unique challenges such as
reduced access to profes-
sional care, higher inci-
dences of chronic illnesses,
lower income, and a higher
unemployment rate. For
these reasons, Gateway has
aimed the Retiring Well
project to help rural seniors
in the Huron, Perth, Grey,
and Bruce Counties receive
assistance in managing
their health-related finan-
cial costs that may come
later in life. The project will
involve three communities
from each county and plans
to engage over 300 seniors.
The project will include
an educational program
with a multi -media toolkit
that aims to increase
awareness of health-related
financial costs in aging as
well as enhance the capac-
ity for older adults to self -
manage these costs post-
retirement. We are looking
for a number of volunteers
from the community, who
have already been through
the retirement process, to
guide participants and
share their experiences,
acting as mentors through-
out the project. We are also
seeking volunteer partici-
pants, individuals who have
not yet been through the
process but are seeking
assistance during this tran-
sitional time in their lives.
For more information,
please contact one of our
team members at 519-600-
5195 or programs@gateway-
ruralhealth.ca.
www.seaforthhuronexpositoncom
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to
You are invited to attend
these area churches
ST. THOMAS CHURCH
21Jarvis St. Seaforth
Rector The Rev. Karine Snowdon
Rectory 519482-9071
Church Office 519-527-1522
Sunday, June 29
ST. JAMES ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHURCH
WELCOMES YOU
14 Victoria Street, Seaforth
519-345-2972
Worship at 9:30 a.m.
Blessing of the
Prayer Shawls
EVERYONE WELCOME
Sat. Mass 5 p.m.
Sun. Mass 9 a.m.
ST. PATRICK'S, DUBLIN
Sun. Mass 11 a.m.
FR. CHRIS GILLESPIE
BETHEL BIBLE CHURCH
An Associated Gospel Church
126 Main St. Seaforth 519-527-0982
Pastor Mark Kennedy
Sunday School for all ages 9:45-10:45
SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE 11 a.m.
Wednesday Evenings
• Youth Groups - Junior & Senior High
6:30 to 9 p.m.
• Boys & Girls Club JK to Gr. 6
7 - 8:15 p.m.
• Adult Bible Study 7 p.m.
6, EVERYONE WELCOME
EGMONDVILLE
UNITED CHURCH
Pastor Steve Hildebrand
Youth Coordinator - Laura Nakamura
NO WORSHIP
JUNE 29TH
Summer Worship Time
to change to 10:30 a.m.
Website: www.egmondvilleunitedchurch.com
Like us on Facebook.
NORTHSIDE
UNITED CHURCH
MINISTER MARY FLETCHER
Welcomes you
Holidays
No Service
Until August
54 Goderich St. W...., ,
6. 519-527-1449 Ell
www.cavannorthsideunited.ca
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
59 Goderich St. W. Seaforth
519-527-0170
Student Minister
Ian Marnoch
Lorrie Mann - Organist
Worship
Sunday, June 29th, 11:15 a.m.
Church Service
and Pot Luck Lunch at Lions Park
Sunday School & Nursery Provided.
Office hours: Wed. 9 a.m. - Noon