Hamilton         The head organizer of ACORN Canada in Hamilton, Ontario, had given me various weather forecasts before I arrived, cold one day, mild another, some rain, some snow.  Come prepared, this won’t be New Orleans.  It is always warm and welcoming to be able to attend and participate a bit in the year-end meeting of ACORN Canada.  It had been a good, even record, year for the organization with membership growth, campaign victories, and solid expansion.

Despite Trump’s attempt to rebrand the country as something akin to America North early in his term, there was less excitement over his provocations now, than there had been.  The impact of US media and conservative talk shows and podcasts is real, but this has been one country that resisted electing a mini-Trumper this year. Trump’s insertion in the politics backfired, which is not to say that the administration’s policies have not had profound impact, because they have.

Many of the issues being discussed are familiar to what Americans are feeling.  One session of interest, directed by John Anderson, ACORN’s field director in Canada, shared the results of a very recent survey of attitudes in Atlantic Canada in the maritime provinces including Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, hardly seen as liberal, progressive bastions by anyone.  As an organization of low-and-moderate income families with close to 200,000 members over the years here, this was of interest, especially the strong support of what we might call economic populism, which would also characterize much of ACORN’s program.

Some of the takeaways were of interest:

• Over 70% want more severe penalties on polluters and 85% believe corporations have too much political power.
• Over 60% are worried about foreign interests and the impact of billionaires.
• Two-thirds are clear that climate change is real and people-driven, but many are unclear about the science.
• Creating more jobs and lowering utility bills are top issues.
• Atlantic Canadians are most proud of the nation’s healthcare system and environment and least feel identified as Canadians by hockey or multi-culturalism.
• The top of their list of concerns are cost of living, or what we hear now as affordability, and, ironically, access to healthcare, both of which track with US concerns.

Canadians and Americans continue to be close on the issues, including the fact that 51% had a negative view of Trump, which is also the way his numbers are falling down south as well.

So, what do we take away from this?  Listening to the organizers in the question period after the poll numbers were discussed, the consensus seemed to be to tune out the rising voice of the right and stay the course in talking about real issues that affect our members about rising rents, groceries, utility bills, and constant concerns about the economy.  The pie-in-the-sky nostalgia has some support, but moving collectively to make change now to improve peoples’ lives is still a winner with Canadians.  The same lessons might be catching on with Americans as well. when you look at the results of recent elections.  It’s not the lies you hear, but what you see in your lives that matters most and will move people the farthest.