As the federal election campaign picks up speed, the Citizen’s Bruce Deachman has been asking Ottawa residents to share, in their own words, some experiences and thoughts on voting. Today: Azimul Islam, of Vanier, shares his pride in voting:
“I always vote, because it is our right to participate in elections. When I was young, my parents insisted that we participate in the vote, always. I was in Bangladesh when I first voted. I was 18. It was a federal election, and I was excited. First-time voting is always exciting. It’s like ‘Now I am a citizen. Now I am an adult.’
“I have always voted Liberal. I came to Canada in 1995, and became a citizen three or four years later. The first election I voted in here was also a federal election. I was excited because it was important to me to vote like a Canadian, as a new Canadian citizen. And it still does, it always feels important.
“This election is a little bit different. Every citizen needs to vote in the election. You’re supposed to participate in elections, to make your member of Parliament. We need a strong person to rule the country. (Donald) Trump was saying that he wants to make Canada a part of their country, so we need a strong leader to deal with him.”
bdeachman@postmedia.com
Our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark our homepage and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed.
