Citizen voter: ‘Now I am a citizen.’ Vanier man describes his first voting experience

Vanier voter and shop-owner Azimul Islam first voted in Bangladesh. Photo by Bruce Deachman /PostmediaArticle content

As the federal election campaign picks up speed, the Citizen’s Bruce Deachman has been asking Ottawa residents to share, in their own words, some experiences and thoughts on voting. Today: Azimul Islam, of Vanier, shares his pride in voting:

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“I always vote, because it is our right to participate in elections. When I was young, my parents insisted that we participate in the vote, always. I was in Bangladesh when I first voted. I was 18. It was a federal election, and I was excited. First-time voting is always exciting. It’s like ‘Now I am a citizen. Now I am an adult.’

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“I have always voted Liberal. I came to Canada in 1995, and became a citizen three or four years later. The first election I voted in here was also a federal election. I was excited because it was important to me to vote like a Canadian, as a new Canadian citizen. And it still does, it always feels important.

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“This election is a little bit different. Every citizen needs to vote in the election. You’re supposed to participate in elections, to make your member of Parliament. We need a strong person to rule the country. (Donald) Trump was saying that he wants to make Canada a part of their country, so we need a strong leader to deal with him.”

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