Mental health, opioid crisis and environment top municipal issues, say northern Ontario students

For Nipissing University student Jared Gagne the mental health and homelessness crisis is the most important municipal election issue in North Bay, Ont.

"These people are kind of left out to dry by our society, kind of left in the cracks," said Gagne, who studies history and political science at the university in North Bay.

"And I think there's a lot of people, me included, that really feel like our community should do more to help these people."

Noah Siren, a political science student at Lakehead University, in Thunder Bay, Ont., said the opioid epidemic is also a big issue in his community.

"You can start with change at the local level," he said.

Simran Talpade, also a political science student at Lakehead, said the environment and truth and reconciliation are her most important political issues.

"I'm not really hearing a lot, at least from the municipal level," she said.

Reaching young voters

Gagne said he has seen an effort from municipal candidates in North Bay to reach out to young voters and show up to events on campus.

"After our reading week, we do have some events scheduled with the student union to have a little meet and greet and debates with the candidates on campus," he said.

But both Siren and Talpade said local candidates have been largely absent from Lakehead.

"I think there is a lack of presence and there definitely should be, especially when there's, you know, such a problem with young voter turnout," Siren said.

Talpade said municipal candidates should make a greater effort to connect with young voters through social media.

"I don't know if you're familiar with TikTok, but I'm on it a lot," she said.

"I know a lot of my friends are on it a lot. It would be a great platform to spread some information and spread what that candidate is all about. Because personally, that's where I get a lot of my news from."

Talpade added local candidates should make an effort to show up where young people are.

"Having a one-on-one chat or even just a group chat with the candidates in general showing up to places where you know your younger demographic is going to be, would make a huge difference to us," she said.