Grade 6 Students “Get Out the Vote”

It may have been damp and grey outside, but Grade 6 students brought the colour with their signs as they took to the streets passionately to raise awareness of the upcoming federal election. Split up into two groups students travelled along Oak Bay Avenue and Fairfield Road on October 15 with signs reminding residents about the importance of voting. “A lot of people decide they don’t want to vote…and it’s important that everybody votes, otherwise if not a lot of people vote we won’t get somebody that we really want to be [Prime Minister], and being Prime Minister is a big job, so you don’t want to choose somebody you aren’t sure about. We want to make sure it’s somebody you want to be Prime Minister,” explains Clementine Germain. The Grade 6 class has been learning about the importance of voting, along with the political system in Canada. “If you don’t vote you don’t get somebody that you want to be Prime Minister, well a less chance,” says Germain. It wasn’t just the Grade 6 students who got involved, they were joined by students from the Social Justice 12 class as they made their way through Oak Bay Village and Fairfield. Holding up a “honk if you’re going to vote” sign, the students were delighted when they heard cars honking in solidarity. “Lots of people were saying they would vote, and we were talking about it with people around us, which is good because we are just starting an [conversation] about it,” says Germain. Lily Jakeman also took part in the Get Out the Vote Walk. “We tried to encourage people to vote, and it was fun,” she says. Other signs they created before the Get Out to Vote Walk included “Oct. 21 please vote,” “Your vote counts” and “Voting is a privilege.” The federal election will be October 21, and the Grade 6 class wants to remind all eligible voters that your vote matters!