Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreiner joined volunteers and supporters from across the province for “Super Saturday”, a canvassing event to support the re-election of deputy leader Aislinn Clancy in Kitchener Centre.
“Aislinn Clancy and I punch well above our weight,” Schreiner told CTV News. “We have an outside influence at Queen’s Park, which is exactly why we want to elect more Greens. People here in Kitchener clearly like and appreciate and value the work Aislinn does. That’s exactly why you see so many people out here knocking on doors on a very cold day for her. And it’s why you’re seeing so many people come out knocking on doors and engaging their neighbors in ridings across Ontario to support local Green candidates.”
Clancy, a former city councillor and the incumbent MPP for Kitchener Centre, was impressed with Saturday’s turnout.
“Our Green campaigns are fueled by people,” she explained. “We have a room full of really great canvassers who are here because they care about our community. They care about people having a roof and food and a livable planet, and it’s really about listening.
Clancy’s campaign hit the ground running. They installed 1,200 signs on day one and assembled a team of 180 volunteers, according to the party’s press release. Despite challenging weather in Waterloo Region, 40 supporters joined Clancy and Schreiner on Saturday to canvass Kitchener-Centre.
“In campaigns, it’s pedal to the metal, so we get up early every day,” Clancy said. “We really want to put the work in. I think we want to show folks that we care to have that face-to-face contact. I mean, if you drive around town, you can see Green signs wherever you go. That’s just evidence of how we started so early, and we really try to talk to and connect with all the people in our riding. Our aim is to get to every door [and] we’re well on our way because of the wonderful group of people who support this movement.”
While Clancy admitted voter turnout is often lower during a snap election, she said Green Party has been taking steps to prepare for what’s to come.
" We’ve been ready since the summer," she told CTV News. “I missed a family holiday because I didn’t want to be caught on my heels, and I wanted to make sure I was out in the community and visible, knowing that we have to ask people for hours for their support.”
Schreiner will continue campaigning on Sunday. The Green Party leader will join Sandy Brown, the former Orangeville mayor and Green candidate for Dufferin Caledon, as they meet with voters in the traditionally conservative riding.
