My music teaching studio is located about a 20-minute walk away from my condo. I walk along Lake Shore Blvd on my way home each day I teach and pass this decrepit property that used to be a daycare centre (see picture below). I lived in a house just right around the corner from this place for over 8 years. And it has been abandoned all this time. Since the election was called, volunteers for our local MP decided (in their infinite wisdom) to place an election campaign sign right on the fence. I’m awestruck by the symbolism of this.

Being a teacher and having many friends who are in a chapter in their lives where they have young children, I hear first-hand how important childcare is as an election issue. While I don’t have kids of my own, I am smart enough to know that the early years of child development are going to greatly effect that child’s future and therefore impact their contribution to society when they grow up.

So I decided to do some digging to better understand the issue and came across this amazing CBC news report that nicely dissects each of the major parties’ platforms:

I’m not sure which party has the better plan…I’m hoping some of you (especially parents) can help me better understand.

Meanwhile, I want to state for the record that I do like Bernard Trottier (the recipient of bad PR from my above pic). I have met him a few times over the years, including when he visited me during my Piano-thon. He seems like a decent guy who cares about the South Etobicoke community where I work and live. However, it’s a shame that we possess a political system that would never allow me to vote for him since I have fundamental differences with the Conservative party platform and their leader. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a system where we could vote for our local MP separately than the PM? Yes, I know that sounds like the US model, but I think it would still be cool for Canada.