The fight for proportional representation in Canada must not be allowed to fall out of the public eye! To keep a spotlight on this important national issue, we will walk 200 km from Kingston to Ottawa. On Saturday May 20, 2017 we'll set out from MP Mark Gerretsen's office in Kingston, where he will address us.  We'll arrive at a late afternoon assembly at Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday May 29th, two days before the vote to endorse the work of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform is expected to take place. Upon our arrival, we will be met by supportive members of parliament, including at a minimum Elizabeth May and Nathan Cullen.

Even if the vote in the House of Commons is not in our favour, we believe the most likely route to adopting proportional representation is to do everything we can to cause the 2019 election to result in a minority government. The influence of the NDP and the Greens would be maximized and the possibility of PR being a significant bargaining chip in negotiations could be maximized.

Over 100,000 people signed MP Nathan Cullen's e-petition to demand electoral reform (now closed). This walk will be another proof that Canadians need, want and deserve a better voting system!

How you can help: Walk with us, of course, if you can. A key is to be there at our kickoff on the morning of Saturday May 20 in Kingston - in addition to Mark Gerretsen, we'll have several inspiring speakers. Here's the Kingston schedule.

And we'll need you at Parliament Hill at 5 pm on Monday May 29 - again we'll have some great speakers in addition to Nathan Cullen and Elizabeth May - and your presence will make a difference! If possible, walk part or all of the 8 km from Hog's Back to Parliament Hill. Join us!

In addition to promoting Proportional Representation, the adventuresome souls who embark on this walk will experience some important and interesting aspects of Canadian history.  On the way to Westport, we'll pass Benjamin Tett's mill built not long after the war of 1812.  When Colonel By built the Rideau Canal, he brought in a group of Scottish stonemasons who after building the canal settled in the area and continued their craft, resulting in many beautiful stone buildings throughout the Kingston and north.  We'll take a short tour of Perth, a very attractive town which is a fine example of this phenomenon, as is Merrickville. And of course, we'll follow the Rideau canal quite closely between Merrickville to Manotick on to Hog's Back Park, and get an idea of how the canal affected business and travel in the mid - nineteenth century.