Election day is here in Ontario.

Eligible voters will be asked to cast their ballots for candidates in their electoral district and in the Brantford-Brant riding Six Nations Chief Mark Hill and the Six Nations Elected Council recently held a virtual meet the candidates night for community members were able to hear the local representatives from most of the political parties in the riding talk about what their respective parties would be doing for the community.

Harvey Bischof of the Ontario NDP, Ruby Toor of the Ontario Liberal Party, and Karleigh Csordas of the Ontario Green Party were all able to join Chief Mark Hill for the zoom session.

Harvey Bischof former president of the Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers’ Federation stated that he “wants to support folks with a government that is on their side, as opposed to one that's just taking care of its buddies”.

He also spoke on his party's platform and how they plan to work with six nations and indigenous people in Ontario and helping Six Nations come to solutions for issues that community members face (affordable housing, incompetent healthcare, and supporting the calls to action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. 

Ruby Toor is representing the Ontario Liberal Party in the riding and she went into detail about what her plan would be if elected saying that her first plan would be sit down with Chief Mark hill and the rest of the Six Nations Elected council to hear the problems facing the community, work together and be a voice for them back at Queens Park She spoke on issues such as the need for better education among indigenous people, promoting language classes for a language she described as being deprived, and coming to a viable solution for clean drinking water for every community member on Six Nations of the Grand River. 

Noticeably absent was Will Bouma of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party who will be running for re-election. This is now the second time he has not been able to speak with Six Nations Council during his election campaigns. He did prepare a statement and touched on the effort he and his party have made to improve public safety of people living on Six Nations. As well as how the Conservatives will continue to support the search for the unmarked graves of residential schools. 

Karleigh Csordas, a Brantford native, is representing the Ontario Green Party and said her campaign has been centered around respect for people as well as always being there for the environment and focusing on climate change. 

She shared some of the Party’s goals if elected, including the carbon neutral goals for the province, affordable housing, and acting on the truth and reconciliation.

Polls are open today from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., Voters must bring a form of official identification along with their registration cards (or two pieces of ID) with them to their assigned polling station.

Listen to the full story below: