What referendum?

Today when I asked my sister what she thought about the referendum, she responded by asking, “What referendum?” As a journalism student, one can imagine my surprise and disappointment when I heard this! With less than two weeks to go before the election, what reasons are there for her not to have known about our “big decision”? My sister is by no means an ignorant fool; she is a successful, well-educated, 27-year-old woman, working at the Toronto Stock Exchange, and I automatically assumed she knew.

The question now arises: how many Ontarians are being properly informed? According to the Hamilton Spectator, more than six in 10 Ontario residents know of the referendum, but only 40 per cent understand what is at stake. Who is to blame for this dismal example of misinformation?

There is more than one culprit here. The media, that ubiquitous communication tool, should shoulder some responsibility for not shedding more light on this serious issue. However, I also think it is the responsibility of Ontarians to care about their province and to learn more for themselves. It does not help that the government has been slow to publicize the issue though. Chief Electoral Officer John Hollins said, “We haven’t kicked in the next phase of what we do…Our newspaper ads will start to appear more frequently, our radio will start up again on October 1.”

If Ontarians are expected to make a well-informed decision come October 10, I feel they should be given more time to learn of the issue than ten measly days. We’re talking a full-blown electoral system change, and that is not something to be taken lightly. The government should be doing more to drill this referendum into our heads than starting a media blitz 10 days beforehand. By then, it might be too late.

Mine's not a high horse!

As a young child, I had always known that I wasn't like most others in my grade. I remember my best friends telling me I wasn't "a real kid" simply because, instead of frolicking in the mud, I would always opt to stay home and write "essays" on my sister's typewriter (mind you, this was before the computer or laptop phenomena hit). I would spend hours in our town library, reading and researching whatever topics intrigued my seven-year-old self at the time. From Greek mythology to the English Renaissance to the big cats in Africa, I would always take what I had learned and make it the subject of my written work.

Now, 12 years later, my penchant for writing has remained unwavering through years of puberty, adolescence, first-times, death, depression--everything. It's been a constant in my life during periods of chaos and moments of calm. It's the only thing I can see myself doing for the rest of my life, which brings me here: a first-year journalism student at Wilfrid Laurier University. I'm hoping my four years treat me well, and if not, maybe I'll just write about it...