As we prepare to gather around our local cenotaphs to honour and remember our veterans, we should reflect on what they fought for and what they died for. They fought for our freedom and died for democracy.

 

Remembrance Day is a day Canadians sadly, but proudly, remember the tens of thousands of young Canadians who perished in the trenches of France and jungles of Burma, on the Beaches of Normandy and the Islands of Japan, over the skies of Britain and under the bombs in Belgium.

 

The vast majority of Canadians embrace the notion of democracy and cherish the freedoms it provides. Yet, regrettably, more and more Canadians, particularly young Canadians, are shunning the ballot box.

 

Voter participation in federal general elections has declined significantly since our soldiers returned home after WWII. Provincial general election results also show stark and steady declines, with voter turnout in the recent Ontario election barely registering above 50 percent. Much of this is no doubt the result of how Canadians have come to view politics. For many, politics has become a dirty word, representing narrow-minded partisanship, power struggles and broken promises. At times, it is this and more. But politics is also a noble profession that, by and large, attracts honest, hard-working men and women who care deeply about the world around them and work hard to make it better.

 

There will always be some who abuse the people’s trust and misuse the power of their office. That is precisely why we should celebrate living in a democratic country with the power of the vote to hold our political leaders accountable.

 

Next year marks the 250^th anniversary of the birth of parliamentary democracy in our country. It was a proud first for Nova Scotia which, in 1758, became home to the first representative assembly of its kind in what is now Canada. Democracy 250 is planning a year-long program of celebratory events and activities. Beyond the celebrations, however, is the need to generate a robust discussion about democracy and all its warts, in the hope of discovering ways to make it more relevant to Canadians. To that end, we invite parents, politicians, community, religious and business leaders from across the country to learn more about why so many young Canadians chose not to vote by reading the Canadian Policy Research Network’s Lost in Translation: (Mis)Understanding Youth Engagement www.cprn.org. We also invite you to visit the Democracy 250 web site www.democracy250.ca to learn more about an important part of Canada’s history, next year’s celebrations and why it is so important we honour our veterans’ memories by participating in the democratic process.

 

Submitted by former Nova Scotia Premiers and Democracy 250 co-chairs

 

Dr. John Hamm

Hon. Russell MacLellan