Haliburton Highlands Healthy Democracy Project

In Ontario's last municipal election, 32 councils were acclaimed. That means no one chose to run for office to serve their communities. The recently-formed Haliburton Highlands Healthy Democracy Project aims to change that, by giving local residents a chance to acquire the skills and tools needed to become involved in the political arena.Established and run by five politically-active individuals, some who've held office, others who've run campaigns or actively engage in local issues, the initiative is aimed at helping people learn and build skills, make connections and take part in shaping their communities' future.CanoeFM recently sat down with two members of the Haliburton Highlands Healthy Democracy Project at Castle Antiques in Haliburton. Barrie Martin, a retired wildlife biologist and Jessica Slade, a federal government not-for-profit policy manager, welcome anyone who's interested in running for a local seat, helping with campaigns or is just curious and wants to learn more about local politics to attend one of the sessions.