Plugged In: Rev. Michelle’s Blog

Showing Up for Our Community September 22, 2026

There is something important about living in a democracy that is easy to forget. We have a voice.

Not all of us will agree about what our community needs. We will have different priorities, different experiences, and different visions for the future. And that is okay. In fact, that is part of what democracy is about. But democracy only works when we participate in it.

Between Tuesday October 20th at 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Monday, October 26, 2026, people across Clarington, and Ontario,  will go to the polls for municipal elections. We will elect the people who will serve on our municipal councils and school boards for the next four years.

Sometimes municipal elections receive less attention than federal or provincial elections. Maybe that is because the issues can seem less dramatic or because we don’t hear as much about them in the news. But the decisions made at the municipal level touch our everyday lives in very real ways:

Our roads and sidewalks.
Public transit.
Parks and recreation.
Libraries.
Housing and development.
Emergency services.
Community planning.
The places where we gather, play, work and live.

These are not abstract issues. They shape our neighbourhoods and our communities. And that is why I believe voting in a municipal election is an important part of our civic responsibility.

Don’t just vote. Be an informed voter.

Voting is important, but responsible citizenship involves more than simply showing up and putting a mark on a ballot. Take some time to learn.

Find out who is running for mayor, council and school board trustee. Read what the candidates are saying. Look at their experience and their priorities. Pay attention to the issues that will affect your community. Ask questions. Listen to perspectives that may be different from your own. And maybe most importantly, don’t assume that the loudest voice is necessarily the most informed one.

We live in a time when it is remarkably easy to encounter information that is incomplete, misleading or simply untrue. Before sharing something about a candidate or an issue, take a moment to check the source. We don’t have to agree with one another. But we can disagree respectfully. We can have different political perspectives and still recognize that the person sitting across from us is our neighbour, our friend, our colleague or our fellow citizen.

Your vote matters because your community matters.

It can be tempting to think, My one vote won’t make a difference. But democracy isn’t built on one person making a difference all by themselves. It is built on millions of ordinary people deciding that their participation matters. Your vote is one small act of citizenship. So is learning about the candidates. So is talking with your neighbours. So is listening to someone with whom you disagree. So is encouraging a friend who normally doesn’t vote to take part. So is treating the whole process with respect.

For those who are eligible to vote in Ontario’s municipal elections, the basic requirements include being a Canadian citizen, being 18 or older, and qualifying to vote in the municipality. And if you’re wondering how or where to vote, your municipality’s clerk can provide information about voting locations and whether alternatives such as internet or mail-in voting are available.

So, as October 26 approaches, I want to offer a simple invitation:

Pay attention.
Ask questions.
Learn about the choices before you.
Listen carefully.
Think for yourself.
And vote.

Not because someone else tells you how to vote. Not because you feel pressured to support a particular person. But because this is your community. This is your voice. And participating in the life of our community is one of the ways we care for one another.

Democracy is not something that happens to us. It is something we participate in together. So let’s show up. Let’s take our civic responsibility seriously. Let’s make sure that we use the voice that we have been given.

Blessings,

Rev. Michelle

Find past posts at https://revmichellebrotherton.com/

St. Paul’s United Church- St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Facebook Page.

Please visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stpaulsucbowmanville.