Candidates Connect with Markham’s Diverse Community

When candidate Ritch Lau goes door-to-door, he starts off by greeting people in all the languages he knows – English, Mandarin, and Cantonese, which is his first language.

Lau is running for municipal council in Markham, where almost 17 per cent of residents mainly speak Cantonese at home; just over 12 per cent speak Mandarin. He believes his approach particularly resonates with seniors and newcomers.

“They instantly smile,” said Lau, a host and news reporter who spoke Cantonese on air but stepped down from his job to run.

“They feel like you are one of them. They feel at home.”

Based on what he hears back, Lau quickly reaches for a brochure from the back pocket of his pants. In one pocket, he’s got pamphlets in traditional Chinese. The other holds his English flyers. He remembers which pamphlets go in each pocket so he doesn’t grab the wrong one.

Lau’s campaigning in Markham’s Ward 2, an open race without an incumbent running. At least four out of five candidates, including Lau, speak both Mandarin and English while three also speak Cantonese – using these languages when they knock on doors.

Larry Lau speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and English like Yan Wang does; Steven Sun speaks Mandarin and English. CBC Toronto did not receive a response from Trina Kollis.

Many of the election signs around Markham include traditional or simplified Chinese alongside English. Most candidates in Ward 2 are campaigning in various languages. (Haydn Watters/CBC)

Driving through Markham reveals curbs filled with campaign signs that often feature traditional or simplified Chinese along with English text. For Lau, it was tough to decide whether to include traditional Chinese on his signs and flyers.

“I don’t want to be off putting for English speakers when they look.. to be like, ‘Oh, there’s a language that I don’t really understand,'” he said.

“But I hope they understand on the other side of the story.. it’s a choice that we can take to be more inclusive and take care of people who are being left out mostly.”

Making elections more accessible

Lau recognizes that language barriers can be a big obstacle for getting people engaged in elections and thinks Markham could do more to address it.

The City of Markham says it’s translating key election info on its website and has a voter helpline providing assistance in over 150 languages. The city also mentions it’s been hosting election education sessions in multiple languages.

The City of Toronto promotes its how-to-vote booklet – available in 25 languages – and runs election ads across radio, Facebook, online platforms, and community newspapers in several languages.

On election day, city staff fluent in various languages will wear name tags showing all the languages they speak. Voters can also bring an interpreter if needed. If those options don’t work out, the city suggests calling 311 for interpretation help.

Seher Shafiq has worked extensively on the ground during past elections making them easier for those who have limited or no English skills.

She appreciates campaign materials offered in different languages – both from candidates and election staff – but points out that lack of civic literacy remains the biggest challenge.

LISTEN | How to knock on doors in different languages:

“Newcomers don’t understand how the system works.. For instance, an MP versus an MPP sounds very similar,” said Shafiq who collaborates with North York Community House creating civic engagement programs aimed at helping immigrants and refugees.

“You’re answering questions like ‘How do I register to vote? How do I find out where to vote?'”

Shafiq believes tailoring campaigns directly towards communities with lower voter turnout is effective; this might involve using local community leaders as part of advertising about voting procedures.Lau estimates he’s knocked on about 5,000 doors so far. It varies by neighborhood but says he’ll connect with residents between 30-50 percent of the time.(Haydn Watters/CBC)

“If there’s two posters; one features a local community leader you see at your mosque every week.. versus someone you don’t recognize; you’re likely going to engage more with someone relatable.”

She adds there’s still much work needed throughout years between elections-not just leading up-and notes local grassroots organizations doing this kind of work often lack resources.

She feels that’s where funding support from the city could make a significant difference.

“That could go a really long way.”

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