One of the best ways for you to get your elected representatives or electoral candidates to start advocating for solutions to the climate crisis is to sit down with them and tell them what you think should happen.
While it may seem like a bit of a stretch for you to travel to Ottawa or your provincial capital, you could also schedule a meeting with your elected representative or electoral candidate in your region at their riding office.
To find out who your federally elected representative is and where their riding office is click here.
During your meeting with your representative or candidate, you should talk about your general concerns, such as lack of public transportation in your region or polluting industries. Be yourself and remember that your elected representatives work for you. They use feedback from concerned citizens like you to decide which issues they should spend their time on.
Visiting your representative is a great activity to do with others who share your view on the importance of solving the climate crisis – so make it a group event!
Preparing for your visit:
Write the representative's scheduler for an appointment. Give him or her specific days and times you are available and tell the scheduler of any specific legislation you would like to discuss.
Plan your meeting. Write an outline and some brief talking points. If you'd like your representative to support a certain bill, be sure you know its exact name and number. Bring examples of how action on your issues -- whether energy-efficient buildings or green energy -- could benefit your community. Remember that you are coming there to have a conversation with the staff member or official. Plan time to discuss the issues rather than just read off of a sheet of paper.
Do your homework. You should arrive knowing something about your representative's position on your issues. Did he or she already sign on a sponsor of the bill you support? If so, it's still helpful to thank the representative for his or her support and reiterate the importance of climate protection to you.
Things to remember for your visit:
Be on-time and polite. Thank the staff member or representative for meeting with you and introduce yourself.
Stay focused. Remember what topics you came there to discuss and make the most of your limited amount of time.
Make plans to follow-up. Thank the staff member or representative for the meeting and ask if there is any follow-up information you can send.
What to do after your visit:
Send a thank-you note. As soon after your visit as possible, each person in your group should handwrite a thank-you note to the person you met with.Remind him or her of your concerns and mention that you look forward to seeing your representative take action. Also send any follow-up information you promised during your meeting.
Let us know about your meeting by contacting us.
Take Action
