Pat ts i ROUTE338 f-\ [se eee meee} pate ea (47 IN THE LIFE CRAC OUIZ CANADA TEACHING TOOLS ater Qe Qa Campfire prohibition lifted Global warming speeds up Vancouver activists declare support for fish farm occupation And more! ROAD TO THE RIDING fae gt eed cee eco elie ae bal eS Te) > Interactive website showcases Canada’s political ridings Jake Wray News Editor he Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC,) a network that provides streams of Canada’s House of Commons, has launched a new website as part of a multimedia education initiative. The website, www.route338.ca, features an interactive political map of Canada, with information about each federal riding in the country such as biographies of current MPs, photos from the ridings, economic facts and lists of Indigenous peoples within a given riding. The map also has information about senators. A section of the website, called CPAC in Focus, is frequently updated with BC NDP aims to ban union and corporate funding articles and videos about current political issues in Canada. Some of the most recent explainers in this section include an article about the NAFTA negotiations and an article about a parliamentary committee questioning commissioners of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The Route 338 site includes a video series called Day in the Life, which shows various MPs as they work in Ottawa and in their home ridings. Two MPs from British Columbia are featured in the series: Jenny Kwan, who represents the Vancouver East riding, and Dan Albas, who represents the Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola riding. Alongside the website, CPAC is also offering a mobile app called CPAC Quiz Canada, which is a multiplayer Canadian trivia quiz game. Catherine Cano, president and general manager of CPAC, said ina press release that the new multimedia initiative is intended to boost engagement in Canadian democracy. “Now more than ever before, we recognize that democracy is precious but fragile, even in mature democracies like Canada,” Cano said in the release. “CPAC Route 338 is a vital resource because the earlier we study and learn about our democracy, the better our chance to have a society that is curious, knowledgeable, and engaged.” The website and app are paired with 11 learning activities—designed by CPAC—that are geared for primary and secondary students. In addition to the learning activities, YOUR MOST RECENT tle Le boty by Me npcerrt winite I'M FEELING LUCKY O CPAC is also providing several 8-by-u1 metre floor maps of Canada. The maps, which also include information about federal ridings, will tour across Canada to various schools, and will also pair with the website and learning activities. CPAC developed with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society to develop the maps. “Learning about democracy has never been more important,” John Geiger, CEO of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, said in a press release. “Our partnership with CPAC brings together the best in geographical and political education resources to give students and newcomers the information they need to understand how democracy works in Canada.” C6 The wild west financing of the past will come to an end.” —John Horgan, BC premier Image via route338.ca > Campaign finance reforms were major issue in last election Jillian McMullen Staff Writer he newly-formed BC NDP government has introduced legislation that would cap the dollar amount of personal donations allowed to political parties, one week after the BC Liberals put forward a similar bill. British Columbia is one of the few provinces that does not currently have laws in place limiting contributions. “The wild west financing of the past will come to an end. It’s time people get to the center of our politics: Not people with deep pockets, but people,” said premier John Horgan at a press conference announcing this new bill on September 18. The new government, while in opposition, was highly critical of the Liberal Party’s fundraising strategies, often referred to as “cash for access” events. “This bill is what we committed to pass. This bill is what we campaigned on,’ said Horgan. The recent Liberal bill was the same they failed to pass in the spring before the non-confidence vote that sparked the May g election. With several similar provisions, such as banning union and corporate funding to parties as well as donations made from outside the province, the Liberal bill set limits at $2,500 for personal donations, while the NDP suggest lowering individual contributions to $1,200. The NDP bill has caused some controversy, as it would subsidize political parties using taxpaying money in the years following the bill’s implementation. Although not an uncommon practice in other Canadian provinces, Horgan had promised several months ago that taxpayer money would not be used to fund political parties. The votes would be calculated on the votes received by each party in the last election. This would begin at $2.50 per vote in 2018, decreasing slowing until 2022 when it would be phased out, according to a CBC News article. They would also receive a reimbursement totaling $u-million in last year’s election on staff and office costs, according to the same article.