Toronto goes to the polls on Oct. 26 to elect the representatives who will be their voice on City Council as well as who will lead the city as mayor. During an election campaign, it can be difficult to decipher and remember who promised what and all the ideas and slogans can get muddled and confusing.
That’s where Iya Thompson comes in, interviewing candidates and breaking down the issues in Beaches-East York, through the eyes of a nine-year-old.
While she’s just under a decade away from being able to vote herself, the young Torontonian is hoping to help those who can cast their ballots make an informed decision in the upcoming municipal election with her show Iya on Toronto. Using platforms like Instagram and YouTube, she’s learning more about how government works and teaching others as well.
“Government matters a lot, it’s very important and… not many people vote,” she told CityNews about what she’s learned so far.
Currently, Iya is focused on interviewing all 13 candidates running in Beaches-East York, asking the same questions of each, including their favourite place in the ward and what they think the biggest issues in the city are right now.
So far, candidates are telling her they will listen to their community about what they need.
“Some of the issues they’ve said are the roads and traffic,” she said.
“A lot of them said that their favorite place is the beach.”
As part of the next generation that will inherit the city – with all it’s promise and problems – Iya is hoping to help shape the future along with her father.
“It’s been a fantastic father-daughter project and sort of what started as just a small thing in our backyard and in the local parks has blossomed into something a lot bigger than we thought,” said Iya’s dad Steve Thompson.
He adds that along with being recognized in public, Iya’s show has become a sought after outlet for city council hopefuls across Toronto.
“We’ve had a lot of school trustees and other candidates reach out looking for interviews as well from wards all over the city,” said Steve.
“We didn’t start out this way but we’re trying to build a platform where candidates can get their voices heard.”
Iya has hundreds of followers online so far, with a growing audience of people looking for some more local information.
CityNews spoke with Beaches-East York locals, all of whom commended Iya for providing a worthy public service.
“I think it’s great for kids to get involved in elections,” said one resident.
“Even for people like us it’s amazing that a girl as young as her knows a lot about politics,” said another.
When asked whether she has an eye on politics herself some day, Iya says she’s open to the idea.
“Possibly, yeah that sounds fun. I would want to do that,” she said.
While Iya contemplates a future in public service, she and other kids in the city can also participate in an election and learn more about the voting process during Kids Vote Weekend on Oct. 10 and 11 where they can cast their ballot for ‘2027 Tree of the Year’ at all advance polling locations.
Click here to learn more about Kids Vote Weekend.
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