Federal Retirees volunteers mobilized quickly to ensure the voices of older Manitobans were heard in the lead up to the provincial election. (From left: Ceci O’Flaherty, Connie Kehler, Cynthia Foreman, Glenn Armstrong.)
For the 2023 Manitoba election, Federal Retirees ran an advocacy campaign focused on securing healthy and dignified retirements for Manitobans.
Branch volunteers, Manitoba advocacy program officers (APOs), district directors and members worked together with staff support to make this campaign a success.
As part of this campaign:
- Branches held two election town halls and a letter writing campaign.
- Members sent nearly 200 letters sent to candidates and 30 letters to editors of local news publications.
- A Prairies district director had an op-ed published in the Winnipeg Free Press.
- Volunteers partnered with the Manitoba Seniors’ Coalition.
Town halls
The Central Manitoba Branch held an election town hall with Portage la Prairie candidates on Sept. 14, at the Royal Canadian Legion No. 65. This town hall was open to the public and was covered on CFRY 920 AM and in the Graphic Leader.
The Winnipeg & District Branch held an election town hall on Sept. 20. Over 170 Federal Retirees members attended, along with candidates from the Green, Liberal, NDP and PC parties.
During both election town halls, moderators posed questions to candidates using the 2023 Manitoba election toolkit.
Letter campaigns
The Western Manitoba Branch sent letters to all candidates within their branch catchment area, calling for Manitoba’s next government to address Federal Retirees’ priorities.
Media
All across Manitoba, Federal Retirees members sent letters to their local candidates, as well as to the editors of their local news publications. Heather Harding, a member of the Winnipeg Branch, had her letter published in the Winnipeg Free Press.
Prairies & N.W.T. district director Connie Kehler had an op-ed published in the Winnipeg Free Press calling for the next provincial government to create a healthier future for aging in Manitoba.
Partnering
Federal Retirees volunteers partnered with the Manitoba Seniors’ Coalition to draw attention to issues outlined in the Manitoba Seniors Strategy.
What’s next?
Now that the election is over, Manitoba branches are following-up with newly elected and re-elected members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to make sure members’ voices continue to be heard.
The success of this 2023 Manitoba election campaign is a direct result of volunteers’ hard work, organizational skills and ability to mobilize — whether for a provincial or federal election or for a special issue advocacy campaign.
Are you interested in helping your local branch advocate on behalf of federal retirees and older Canadians? Reach out to the advocacy team at the Association’s national office to connect with your APO or for additional information.
Green candidate for Portage la Prairie, Arishya Aggarwal, addressed Federal Retirees members at a town hall organized by the Association’s Central Manitoba Branch.
About Advocacy Spotlight
Advocacy Spotlight showcases successful initiatives and projects put forward by our dedicated volunteers and supporters.
The National Association of Federal Retirees has a proud history of advocacy on behalf of our members and all retirees. In collaboration with our volunteers and supporters from coast-to-coast, we continue this tradition of strong, smart advocacy campaigns focused on improvements to the financial security, health and well-being of our members and all Canadians. Our success is not only measured in policy changes and legislation. It grows with every meaningful discussion with parliamentarians, and with every email and letter written. Together, we are achieving and surpassing our strategic advocacy goals and targets every day.