Canvassing allowed in apartment buildings
Regarding the letter from Mr. McDonald on Friday, he’s obviously playing politics with the truth. The right to canvas apartments, condos, and even gated communities during federal and provincial elections is explicitly defined by the Elections Act. Not only Conservatives, but all political candidates are apparently more informed than he is.
Here are the rules applicable to canvassing and to electoral signs during a federal election. (VISOA)
“Section 81 of the Act prohibits any person from preventing a candidate or representative from canvassing between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
81.(1) No person who is in control of an apartment building, condominium building or other multiple-residence building or a gated community may prevent a candidate or his or her representative from (a) in the case of an apartment building, condominium building or gated community, canvassing, between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., at the doors to the apartments, units or houses, as the case may be; or
(b) in the case of a multiple-residence building, campaigning, between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., in a common area in the multiple residence.
Section 322 of the Act provides that no strata corporation or any of its agents may prohibit the owner, tenant, or occupant of a strata corporation from displaying electoral signs on the premises of his or her strata lot.
322.(1) No landlord or person acting on their behalf may prohibit a tenant from displaying election advertising posters on the premises to which the lease relates and no condominium corporation or any of its agents may prohibit the owner of a condominium unit from displaying election advertising posters on the premises of his or her unit.”
Generally, most candidates regardless of party affiliation would probably not even bring this matter up if there was reasonable objection to their presence by a responsible property owner/manager. They would most likely use discretion and remove themselves from the property if requested.
Public spaces of course allow full access to candidates and their agents.
There is one thing that Ms. May recently said that is correct so far, “This is the most important election in our history…”
The main objective on Oct. 21 has to be ABT…Anybody But Trudeau..for the sake of our future.
R. Hailey
Duncan