Signs Of the Times

With the global political situation in chaos, Peter and I decided to do what we could to help keep our country safe and secure. We chose to canvas for our local election candidates.

When someone applies to canvas, the first question asked is: “Will you take a lawn sign?” This has proven to be a very effective way of advertising for votes. All of us have done it: counted numbers in our heads: 9 red signs, 12 blue, 3 orange and so on. Signs are a great way to get people’s attention and pre-determine the winner. Or maybe signs tell us a different story altogether.

At the beginning of the Provincial election, we volunteered to canvas for Liberal candidate Lee Fairclough, and to take a red lawn sign. A small one appeared immediately, but it was sitiuted near a hedge and hardly visible. We asked for a bigger sign to be placed at the other side of our property, near an intersection, which would ensure better visibility. The workers arrived with big electric drills: the ground was frozen and this sign needed large wooden stakes. It took quite an effort, but the sign was finally erected.

After about a week, we woke up one morning to find a large BLUE sign on our property, right next to the red one. What the heck? We called the Blue office only to be told that they were Not Responsible for their own signs and we would need to call the City to have the sign removed. The City said workers would come by in a week. So Peter went out and yanked the Blue sign out of the ground himself, and leaned it against the side of the house.

The next morning the Blue sign was back up again. Apparently trespassers had been by. This time, when Peter yanked out the sign, he hid it in the back yard. Two days later, Election Day, our red sign was surrounded by Blue signs. But that evening Lee Fairclough won our riding. All those blue signs had not succeeded.

Then we went on to canvas for James Maloney in the Federal election. We ordered a large red Maloney sign for the corner near the intersection. All went well… until the ice storm stuck. The sign lost its grip and began flailing around, hanging on at only one corner. Peter re-tied it but, by the evening, it had slid down and was sitting morosely on the ground.

As soon as the ice storm slowed down, a new version of the Maloney sign appeared, this one with a picture of the candidate and his dog Walnut. We have a lot of dog-owners in the neighbourhood and soon the comments started: “Oh what a cute dog! I’m going to vote for Him!”

That sign is not the only image Maloney has for his campaign. He also owns a pick-up truck and, during elections, he puts a moose in the back. I had never ridden in a pick-up truck, definitely not one with a moose in the back. But last weekend I did. James drove us to our canvassing neighbourhood, and it was a delight to hear all the kids giggling and pointing as we drove past them.

There is less than a week to go until the Federal election. Dear readers, I hope you get behind your local candidate, whether blue, green, orange or RED, and vote.

Sue