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Ontario has been marked by considerable political change and upheaval since 1985, when the province’s long Conservative dynasty was toppled after over three decades in power. Since then, Ontario has experimented with each of the three main political parties, giving the Liberals and NDP majority governments before returning to the Conservatives. Once viewed as the dullest provincial legislature in the country, Queen’s Park in Toronto has been the scene of major political and social conflicts. Ontario is one of the few provinces where a truly competitive three-party political system exists, with the Conservatives, Liberals, and NDP all recent contenders for power. As well, other parties, such as the Green Party and the Libertarian Party, are active in the province, taking on the role of bringing important issues to the forefront of Ontario politics.

Students will select a current political issue of importance to them, such as education, the environment, job creation, and so on. Students will research where five political parties in Ontario stand on their selected issue and write a two- to four-page (depending on the grade level) summary on the parties’ platforms.

Students will then select the party that best represents their own views on the issue and create a political campaign flyer to convince their contemporaries to vote for their chosen party.

Have students distribute their flyers to their classmates. Hold a class discussion on the effectiveness of the flyers and whether they are persuasive enough to change how someone would vote.