Interim CEO’s Message
APEGA
Your Vote,Your Journey BY HEIDI YANG, P.ENG., FEC, FGC (HON.) Interim CEO Think of the first time you made your way through the door of some neighbourhood school or church basement to cast your vote in a free election. By now, the names of the candidates and whether they won or lost may have disappeared into the mists of time. But the feeling you got from showing up and filling out the ballot — with purpose — that’s still there. Each time I vote, the feeling returns, and it’s just as strong as it was the election before. The process is not particularly stressful. The lineups aren’t long and the opening hours are. Parking is usually easy to find, if you need it, but many voters simply walk from their homes. A mood of quiet resolve and camaraderie seems to permeate the venue. We’ll argue
politics tomorrow morning, if we need to. But not now. Now is for voting and accomplishing something profoundly important, together.
Voting is your right, but it is so much more, too. It is freedom of choice. It is your connection to who you are and where you’ve come from, to how you can make a difference. That polling place feeling is one of pride and patriotism, certainly. Yet it’s also a feeling of community. All these people, regardless of their backgrounds and beliefs and skin colours and ages, have this simple, important act in common. They came out. And then they voted. VOTING IS ONE ENTRY POINT INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ORGANIZATION THAT REGULATES YOUR WORK AND YOUR PROFESSIONS. IF YOU’RE ALREADY AN ENGAGED MEMBER, VOTING IS A REAFFIRMATION OF YOUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR PROFESSIONS
SPRING 2017 PEG | 7
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker