A lawn divided: 1 house, 2 different party signs with vote a week away
Neighbours amused by Old North home where in-house vote split is shaping up
It's been said that a house divided cannot stand, and although Beth MacDougall-Shackleton's front lawn has election signs that tout two competing parties, she says everyone inside is getting along just fine.
"We don't actually have fights at the dinner table or anything," she said about the divided loyalties shown on the two signs in her Old North front yard: one for NDP candidate Terence Kernaghan, who's the incumbent, and the other for Liberal Kate Graham.
MacDougall-Shackleton said it all started innocently enough.
"I'm an NDP supporter and told Terence's campaign that they were welcome to leave a sign on our lawn — and unbeknownst to me, my husband, who is a Liberal supporter, told Kate Graham's campaign the same thing. And now we've got both signs on our lawn."
And while it doesn't appear she and her husband will be voting the same way, MacDougall-Shackleton said both would like to see a change in government. Jerry Pribil is running for the Progressive Conservatives in London North Centre.
"I think both of us would be happy if anyone who's not the Progressive Conservative candidate takes the riding," she said.
Her two children are of voting age but haven't yet stated a voting preference, which is good because the family are starting to run out of real estate on the lawn.
"The dynamic is not as chaotic as you'd think by looking at our lawn," MacDougall-Shackleton said. "We're all pretty progressive in this house. Whether it goes orange or red, we'll be happy."
CBC's Poll Tracker suggests the PCs are headed toward another majority government, with the Liberals and NDP vying for the official opposition role.
MacDougall-Shackleton says some of her neighbours have been asking her about the dual sign situation.
"They're a little curious, they're scratching their heads and worried that we're fighting, but we see eye to eye on the core things," she said.
Her main piece of advice for other voters — including those with housemates of differing voting intentions — is that they don't miss their chance to cast a ballot.
"Just make sure you get out there and vote," MacDougall-Shackleton said.
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