On October 19, 2015 the Canadian federal election will be held. And we want to reaffirm that every vote matters.
On May 6 of this year, our chance for a national dementia strategy becoming enshrined into Canadian law through MP Claude Gravelle’s private member’s bill C-356 was sadly defeated 140-139. Yes, by one vote.

When we hear about people who think votes don’t matter it’s disheartening, because regardless of context, every vote matters. Right now, each one of us gets to choose who we want to lead our country at a time when dementia is prevalent everywhere and answers are nowhere.

The Ontario Dementia Advisory Group (ODAG) is a group of people living with dementia who formed in Fall 2014 with the purpose of influencing policies, practices, and people to ensure that we, people living with dementia, are included in every decision that affects our lives.

When you have dementia, you worry about the time. How much time do you have before you: get worse; are moved into a long-term care facility; are unable to participate in committees; you die.

Yes, research is important. But so is our current living ability. We need an integrated national dementia strategy which will help support the provincial strategy here in Ontario and in the other provinces that have recognized dementia as a priority. Canadians had that within our reach. One vote stopped it.

ODAG worked very hard pushing for support of bill 356. Our effort included sending 80 individual emails to Ontario Conservative MP’s and helping the North West Dementia Working Group also send out 80 individual emails. The response was one aggressive email from a Conservative MP. This is beyond unprofessional and unacceptable. We are angered to hear that Liberal MP Yvonne Jones forgot to vote. Her vote would have passed the bill. And where were the NDP MP’s who decided not to go to work that day? Again, we needed just one vote.

This was not a straight split among parties. Nine Conservative MP’s did their homework and supported C-356. The Conservative government claimed the bill encroached on provincial health-care jurisdiction and instead put forth a motion that states dementia as a priority with no requirement for action from government.

MP votes matter. Citizen votes matter. It is paramount that people understand the importance of each vote and listen to what people who have firsthand experience of dementia want. People with dementia across Canada need the next federal government to take dementia seriously. The provinces are moving ahead on the development of local dementia strategies with a glaring absence of national leadership on the most pressing health and social challenge of our time. So we ask your candidates what they will do to support the people with dementia in your community and what their party will do for those affected across Canada.

Come October 19th, YOUR vote can send the message that as a Canadian citizen you demand a national dementia strategy. We need action and it’s in your hands.

Learn more about what you can do.

Sincerely,

Ontario Dementia Advisory Group (ODAG)

From left to right, three members of the Dementia Advisory Group. Bea Kraayenhof, Bill Heibein and Maisie Jackson alongside MPP Indira Naidoo-Harris. The other two members (not pictured) are Mary Beth Wighton and Phyllis Fehr