These regular Canadians share the personal experience that shapes how they will vote
Social Sharing
What's the one issue that matters the most to you in this federal election?
CBC News asked Canadians to share the personal experience that shaped how they will vote in 2025. And you responded in overwhelming numbers. We heard from hundreds of people from across the country.
Now, we've selected several of them to share their perspectives with you, in their own words. Among the writers are students, farmers, seniors, parents, office workers, oilpatch workers, truck drivers — just regular people from across the country and the political spectrum. Not the same political talking heads, but real people with real stakes.
You might not agree with some of them. But perhaps after reading their pieces, you might understand why they intend to vote the way they do.
Over the next four weeks of the federal election campaign, we'll add more columns to this page as they're published.
Keep in mind, these pieces should not be taken as endorsements of any particular political party by CBC News. Rather, they are expressions of the writers' points of view at the time of publication, and a look at how those perspectives came to be formed. CBC News was involved in fact-checking and editing their writing efforts. For more background, check out our website and FAQ here.
Take a read and consider, was there a perspective that helped you understand Canadians better?
I'm 74, still working and can't afford new teeth. Dental care is my election issue
In January, Gale Uhlmann had to have all her teeth pulled, a procedure that cost $5,400. Though the Canadian Dental Care Plan would cover the costs, she didn't qualify because she still works — to make ends meet — and has a small, employer-covered insurance plan. The Ontario woman wants a federal party that will see the program expanded to include people like her. Read her column.
My son and I live with the constant threat of being homeless. Housing is my election priority
The Liberals announced a national housing strategy, but progress has been hard to see for Anna-Ise Dutka-Stainbrook. The Saskatoon resident was unhoused for several months and the experience has left her unsettled about voting. She's waiting for a federal party to deliver a platform she thinks will meaningfully address Canada's housing crisis for low-income renters. Read her column.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Observer
an hour ago
- National Observer
There is no such thing as "decarbonized oil"
It takes a lot to make Simon Donner lose his cool. The co-chair of the feds' advisory group on climate policy has a daily practice of swimming in the Pacific and braves the frigid water all winter long. But he couldn't bear the blather about 'decarbonized oil' spilling from the first ministers' meeting this week. The prime minister and premiers emerged from their meeting in Saskatoon last Monday and jointly declared they would 'work urgently to get Canadian natural resources and commodities to domestic and international markets, such as critical minerals and decarbonized Canadian oil and gas by pipelines, supported by the private sector….' Donner took to social media to denounce the whole notion of 'decarbonized oil' as 'Orwellian.' It was strong language from the co-chair of the federal Net-Zero Advisory Body (NZAB). Donner is a climate scientist at UBC studying oceans and the intersection of climate science and policy. In that role, he gets to call the fouls as he sees them. But when people accept official government advisory roles, their criticisms usually devolve into gracious gibberish. So, it was refreshing to hear Donner push back on the statement by Carney et al. The whole idea is just plain 'silly,' he said. There is no such thing as 'decarbonized oil' — 'Oil contains carbon and emits CO2 when combusted.' Oil is, after all, a hydrocarbon. Along with methane gas and coal, the combustion of these fossil fuels is the primary driver of climate change. You already knew that, I'm sure. But the reason it's important to spell it out is that you're in the minority. Everyone knows there's a conflict between Big Oil and the greenies. But after decades of climate denial, online disinformation and general gaslighting, there is still widespread confusion about the most basic facts — just under half of Canadians pick out 'burning fossil fuels' even when given a list of possible sources most responsible for climate change. The marketing spin about 'decarbonized oil,' isn't new. The oil and gas industry and various agencies were talking about carbon capture on oil production last century. More recently, Natural Resources Canada published a Roadmap for the Decarbonization of Canada's Oil and Gas Sector in the Trudeau years. The nonsensical term is a close cousin to the attempts at marketing deep offshore drilling in the Atlantic as 'net-zero.' And adjacent to the most brazen branding effort to date — so-called 'ethical oil.' Decarbonized oil doublespeak may not be new but it was jarring coming from the mouth of Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has an undeniable grasp of the impacts of hydrocarbons. @ writes for @ The decarbonized doublespeak may not be new but it was jarring coming from the mouth of our new PM, who has an undeniable grasp of the impacts of hydrocarbons but nevertheless talked about 'decarbonized barrels' at the press conference following the first ministers' meeting. And it was particularly painful considering the venue — a province under a state of emergency where more than 15,000 people have fled wildfires. Extended families are crammed into single hotel rooms and sleeping in parking lots. While the first ministers discussed their nation-building plans in Saskatoon, a group of evacuees held a protest in the city demanding more resources for firefighting and evacuation support. It is still only Spring, but over 33,000 Canadians have already been forced to evacuate. John Vaillant, the author of Fire Weather relayed a startling conversation this week: the CEO of Red Cross Canada told him that when he started with the organization 17 years ago, 'eighty per cent of our work was outside Canada. Now, eighty per cent of our work is inside the country.' The early-season heatwave and fire conditions on the Prairies are 'at least five times more likely than they would be in a world without climate change,' according to attribution scientists. 'These conditions, which set the stage for dangerous wildfires, will only become more frequent and more severe if we continue burning fossil fuels,' said Dr. Kristina Dahl, VP of Science at Climate Central. The contrast was too much for another member of NZAB. ''Decarbonized oil and gas' does not exist,' wrote Catherine Abreu. '[It is] a complete contradiction in terms, and a dangerous lie that Canadian government after Canadian government has tried to spin under the spell of industry lobbying.' It may be too early to tell who's doing the spinning and what kind of spell they're casting. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith sounded positively enthusiastic about an emerging 'grand bargain' to satisfy the demands of the oil and gas industry. But some political watchers suspect Mark Carney is spinning a political web of his own. CNO's Max Fawcett argues that Carney is effectively calling Smith's bluff — a kind of judo move that avoids direct confrontation and puts the pressure back on her: 'He will, as Smith demanded, create the conditions for a more rapid assessment of infrastructure projects. But it's clear that one of those conditions will be the net-zero targets that Smith and Alberta's oil and gas industry have repeatedly committed themselves to.' Politics is the art of the possible, as they say. And perhaps there's a method behind the oxymorons and doublespeak. But it's hard to shake the sense that we're kidding ourselves and avoiding the basic reckoning. Still muttering about decarbonizing hydrocarbons even as the flames close in.
Canada Standard
4 hours ago
- Canada Standard
Opinion: 'Don't Look, Just Leap', Carney and Ford Agree
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford seem to think that environmental assessment laws governing new pipelines, mines, nuclear power plants, ports, power dams, and transmission lines are no longer needed. Trust us, they say. Give us and the other politicians in our cabinets unfettered discretion to decide in secret which projects are in the national interest, where free-fire special economic zones should be established, and which corporations we should accept as trusted partners in exploiting Canada's natural wealth No need for serious debate in legislatures, they say. Ontario's Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act , was whipped through the provincial legislature in eight weeks. Carney wants Bill C-5, the Building Canada Act , enacted by Parliament by Canada Day, July 1. Independent scientists, civil society, and local communities need not be consulted on new megaprojects, they say. Governments know best. Yes, Indigenous nations must be heard from on account of that pesky Constitution and Supreme Court. But those consultations must be done quickly because project approvals are guaranteed within two years to ensure certainty for investors. View our latest digests Yes, they say, Canada's boreal forest is burning, atmospheric and other rivers are overflowing, and sea levels are rising. But action to address the climate and biodiversity emergencies really must be put on hold on account of the tyrant to the south. We need to let the U.S. President-not to mention the big investment banks-know that Canada can lay steel and pour concrete as fast as his country can. Benefits to Canadians from these national interest projects must wait, as well. Beginning roughly a half-century ago, Conservative federal and Ontario governments enacted laws requiring development projects to be assessed so that their environmental effects could be avoided, or at least mitigated. Ontario's Environmental Assessment Act was enacted in 1975, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act in 1992. Premier Bill Davis amd Prime Minister Mulroney understood that bureaucrats and consulting engineers don't always get it right, and that the singular focus on economic growth can sometimes leads to ecological disaster. Look before you leap. Ensure that government decisions to approve new highways, oil sands mines, or pipelines at least consider possible adverse environmental effects. Otherwise you get Chornobyl, Fukushima, Deepwater Horizon, and the Mount Polley and Giant mines. Ontario's Bill 5 and federal Bill C-5 effectively override these environmental assessment laws for the very projects that most need assessment and public discussion. Thank goodness we have elected such wise men who truly understand that a tunnel under the 401 highway, a trans-Canada energy corridor, and new roads to the Arctic are environmentally sustainable and will generate amazing benefits to regular Canadians. As catastrophic climate change and species extinctions accelerate, Canadians may be comforted by the thought that oil and gas and mining companies and investment banks will enjoy healthy profits for at least a few more quarters. Stephen Hazell is a veteran environmental lawyer, a member of the Energy Mix Productions Board of Directors, and an advisor to two national organizations assessing the impacts of Bill C-5. Source: The Energy Mix
Toronto Sun
6 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Letters to the Editor, June 9, 2025
Monday letters Photo by Illustration / Toronto Sun CARNEY IS THE SAME OLD LIB While I was deeply disappointed that Pierre Poilievre wasn't successful in the past election, I had hope that, although the team was the same, Mark Carney would turn out to be someone different than his predecessor. Turns out he is the same. Watching question period over the past week the Liberals continue using the same talking points and refuse to answer a question, Carney included. I guess honesty and transparency are not Liberal attributes. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Jane Gilbert Ajax (Evasion is the language the Liberals understand. It's too bad we have to endure for another term) AFFORDABLE AT WHAT COST? Could someone please explain the term 'affordable housing.' I keep hearing this term from every politician wanting to get elected. Is there a price on these houses? Are they mortgage free? How about affordable housing for seniors? Mayor Olivia Chow has raised property taxes more than 20% over her short term of office. My fixed income, based on the amount I was entitled to some 10 years ago, has no inflation clause to keep up with present-day costs. I guess Chow's idea of creating new housing is to squeeze pensioners out of their homes when they cannot afford to pay the taxes! I have never heard this socialist elite mayor ever say the words 'cut back' on anything. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Tony Di Stasi Etobicoke (None of them ever define what is affordable housing, it's just a term that sounds good but is meaningless in reality) JUST OPEN IT I read that the Eglinton Crosstown should be up and running by September ('Eglinton Crosstown rolling soon: Ford,' Jane Stevenson, June 4). Please inform all the politicians to not waste time and money on a grand opening ceremony. There's nothing to celebrate. Just open it. How anything that's long overdue and way overbudget can be celebrated for finally being in service is beyond me. Ha, that could be Metrolinx mantra: 'If it's not overdue and overbudget, it's not Metrolinx.' Todd Keller (That has a sad and expensive ring to it) World Canada Sports Crime Editorials
