Winter election in Canada

Election planners tackle winter

Potential challenges of a snow-filled vote are forcing political strategists to be more creative

copyright The Globe and Mail

Ottawa — The cost of de-icing an aircraft is now suddenly an election expense cutting into the $18-million political parties will be allowed to spend in the expected winter election campaign.

More campaign signs will likely be found on bus shelters and the sides of barns rather than on lawns or along city streets where they may be obscured by snowbanks or pulverized by snowplows. Liberal Party candidates and workers are being advised to carry winter emergency kits in their vehicles, and sledgehammers to pound in the signs they do put on lawns.

In some places, the NDP will use steel rods to hold up their signs instead of wooden posts.

Canadians are expected to go to the polls in early January after a campaign that would begin on Nov. 28 or 29. This will be the country's first winter election in 25 years, and the potential challenges are forcing political strategists to be more creative.

CLICK HERE for entire GLOBE AND MAIL article on winter election in Canada.

Michael McCafferty comments:

Why all the fuss over a 'winter' election in Canada ? It's not as if this would be the first winter election in Canada's history.

That great Canadian from Saskatchewan Prime Minister John Diefenbaker fought two winter elections.

Any Canadian who truly believes in doing their civic duty should go out and vote no matter how cold out it is. After all we are not a nation of sissies.