The State of Women In Politics in Northern Ontario

How Women Fared In the 2018 Municipal Election

After a week of compiling data, we’re releasing statistics about the state of women in politics in the North after the last municipal election.

Many cities improved on their 2014 numbers, and in some cases, even doubled the number of women that were elected to council. North Bay doubled the number of female representation on their city council, which now sits at 18%. Timmins also elected more women, and now sits above the United Nations recommended minimum threshold for effective representation in decision making. Kenora comes close to meeting that minimum threshold as well, with women holding 29% of the available council seats. Sault Ste Marie also improved overall, with women holding 27% of the available council seats.

Other cities hovered around the same percentage of women elected as they did in 2014, such as Temiskaming Shores and Dryden. Elliot Lake and Greater Sudbury are the only cities in Northern Ontario to have elected fewer women than they had in 2014. Elliot Lake nearly had gender parity before Monday’s election, and now only has one woman on council. Greater Sudbury’s new council will have two women less, with only 15% of the available council seats now being held by women.

While we are disappointed to see the dip in representation in some cities, we are thrilled about the results in others. When women run, the data shows that they are elected at the same rate that men are. Women often choose not to run for any political office, and that has been true for this past election as well, where only 27% of all candidates that ran municipally in Ontario were women. That being said, that is a huge improvement from 2014, when that percentage sat at 23%.

To eliminate some of the barriers that women face when running for election, we hosted several events aimed at training and preparing women, such as campaign bootcamps and online webinars. Our organization contributed, trained and/or supported 26 female candidates across Northern Ontario in this last municipal election. 9 of those women were elected, with many of them running for political office for the first time. We’re very proud of all of the women who ran for any municipal position. We’re also looking forward to touching base with them over the next few months and learning from their experiences on the campaign trail. Those experiences and stories will help shape the next four years of advocacy and training that PoliticsNOW will do as an organization. The work to get women elected in 2022 starts now!

Look for us to host campaign schools and revisit some of their earlier programs, such as our “City Hall Fieldtrips” and their “InspireNOW” talks, in the new year.

Sara McCleary

Why did you decide to run for council?

This summer, I was presented with an opportunity to move to Toronto. I nearly became one of the countless young people who left the Sault for "greener pastures," but something kept holding me back: the Sault is my home. I have a connection to this community and the people in it, and I struggled with the idea of leaving. So instead of running away, I decided to stay in the Sault and put my name forward for City Councillor to try to make sure that the next time a young Saultite is presented with a similar opportunity the answer for them is obvious: stay here, at home. I want to bring new ideas to Council to try to pull the Sault out of the rut that it's fallen into lately and make our community a place where young people want to live, work, and raise a family.

What innovative projects would enhance life in your community?

There are a number of innovative projects I would love to see here in the Sault. I know it's not practical to see all of these implemented due to financial constraints, but let me outline three projects I would love to see here.

First, and most practical, I would love to see a youth centre established in the Sault. There have been calls for one for years with little to no response from the City, but I firmly believe that one can be set up at minimal cost to fill this need. We have to show our youth that we hear them and care about them.

Second, and not too difficult, it would be amazing to see rooftop gardens set up on buildings along Queen Street. As you walk down that street, you start to realize that most of the buildings have flat roofs; why not use that space to grow vegetables that can then be donated to local food banks and soup kitchens to help feed those in need?

And finally, I'll mention the most expensive project I'd like to see in the Sault: a downtown plaza as outlined by the consultant Roger Brooks. To develop a plaza that can be used as a market, with a small splashpad that can be used as a skating rink in winter - this is something we don't see much of in our region that could be a big draw. The recreational opportunities it could provide would be a major boon to our quality of life here in the Sault.

What do you think are the greatest challenges your city faces?

One of the greatest challenges facing the Sault today is our youth outmigration. For several years now we've been losing young people in droves, to the point that we now need to rely on immigration to hold our population steady. The lack of youth here has led to a number of unfilled jobs in certain sectors, and therefore a reluctance by investors to come to the Sault and bring other jobs in other sectors. We need to make the Sault a city where young people want to live in order to stop that outflow.

Another significant challenge facing the Sault is our high levels of poverty, as well as food and housing insecurity. These social issues often then lead to health issues - including struggles with mental health and addictions which we know are major concerns here in the Sault. Although it is important to talk about the economic issues, including taxes and jobs, the City needs to do more to address these social issues because this will have a positive organic impact on the economy.

Other than the official ways of communicating (minutes, municipal notes), how else will you reach out to your constituents to involve them in the decision making process?

I will always maintain a presence on social media and will happily invite constituents to reach out to me there and ask for feedback online. But more importantly, I'm going to regularly go to my constituents physically. I am committing to knocking on doors in my ward at least once a month to talk to constituents, to seek out feedback on decisions I and Council have made, and to ask for input on what they would like to see done differently. This is an approach that has been lacking for too long, but I think that it is important for City Councillors to engage constituents by any means possible.

What do you cherish most about your community?

I love that this city can rise to a challenge like no other when it comes to helping those in need. Recently I sent out a call for volunteers for a charity event and received an outstanding response. And in June when the mayor announced he would be raising money for a new breakfast program for local kids, the community donated more than twice his goal - more than $50,000 - in only three weeks.

The Sault is not without its challenges, but the people are so caring and generous in times of need that you can't help but love the community.

Where can people find you?

www.saramccleary.ca, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

Are you a woman who is running for council or school board trustee in Northern Ontario, and would like to be featured on our blog? Let us know.