ISAN Oxford’sCommUNITY gathering highlights social issues ahead of election

Emily Stewart, Echo Correspondent

Ahead of the 2025 Ontario Provincial Election, community leaders and Oxford County citizens gathered online to discuss social issues of concern.

ISAN (Indigenous Solidarity Awareness Network) Oxford held a CommUNITY gathering on Feb. 16 via Zoom. Environmental and human rights advocates shared their thoughts and concerns over issues such as colonialism, human trafficking, discrimination towards the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, intimate partner violence, and the environment. The event was to be in-person at Museum Square but became virtual due to winter storms. MPP candidates for the Oxford riding - Liberal Bernia Martin and NDP Kadijah Haru - were in attendance and received several questions about how they will tackle a variety of issues if elected.

Patricia Marshal-Desutter, director of ISAN, told the Echo that she was pleased with the discussion and learning opportunity. Marshal-Desutter, who is Two-Spirit and uses she/they pronouns, added that the online gathering brought together several organizations.

“With the way our society is shaped, and funding is distributed, often times organizations and institutions end up operating in silos which ultimately create gaps,” they said. “When we facilitate cross sector communication, we can illuminate those gaps and finds ways to work together and value the intersections of our work in order to help our communities thrive and move forward towards positive societal change.”

Voter turnout and political apathy was often brought up during the gathering. The 2022 Ontario Provincial Election had just over 44 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballot – which set a record for the lowest turnout in Ontario Election history.

“When over half the voting population isn't using their voice for a multitude of reasons then this means our political representation is actually the result of the wishes of the few instead of the intended majority,” Marshal-Desutter said. “This is not to say that I think it would drastically change results, I just believe that the results are not truly representative of our provinces wishes and population if less than half of the voting population is casting their ballots.”

They added that after the election, regardless of the results, networking and gathering must continue to foster social change.

“We all have the power to create change by our actions and the conversations we choose to have,” she said. “Be it a conversation with a neighbour colleague or loved one about an issue that matters to you, joining a local committee working on an issue close to your heart, donating to organizations that matter to you and advocating to your local government to give adequate supports to services and organizations. Truly there are so many ways in which we can make an impact.”

Marshal-Desutter plans to use the lessons learned from hosting the CommUNITY gathering ahead of the Ontario Provincial Election towards hosting another event when a Federal Election happens.