- Elizabeth Princess for a Day “It ain’t easy being Queen.” Thus reads the sign I find hanging on the wall of my mom’s new room. As I lay out my foam mattress and sleeping bag, she fondly recounts the heroic tales of her mini-victories. The green house also known as “the palace” or “the chateau” is an unfurnished home with soft carpets for all the campaign volunteers. And, as I realized this morning, there are many such admirable people. Our morning began when Susan, our “driver” picked us up for a “meeting” at the Green Party Office. We were surrounded by a whirlwind of faces and names all of which my mom knows better than the back of her hand. The gathering watched as she rallied the troops and interjected while each of the assembled crowd introduced themselves. After a briefing on the ways of a canvasser, the volunteers broke into small groups, collected polling data and bravely faced uncharted doors. Before lunch, we leafleted and polled either side of Coombs Ave. Then we decided to hit the mall. The politics of persuasion proved tricky in a shopping centre. Perhaps people felt uncomfortable with the fact that they usually didn’t have much of an escape route. Cautiously, the fearless leader approached the Saturday shoppers with friendly smiles and hand outstretched. Occasionally, they frown or nod discouragingly. Sometimes they just keep walking. But then a head turns- “Are you Elizabeth May?” someone behind you says. “Yes, hi. And this is my daughter Victoria Cate,” she replies. Mixed in with our Cherryhill Mall campaign is a delicious lunch at ‘Good 4 U’ in the food court. We are surprised to find a delicious selection of vegetarian curries and other Indian dishes. As we eat naan bread and inhale cardamom, Susan exclaims that they haven’t eaten such a good meal all week. After a long afternoon of knocking on doors, though, my mom and I are able to enjoy another lovely meal. We spend one hour eating dinner with Cheri and Patrick, the parents of a cherished volunteer. Then Susan whisks us away, bearing with us donations of truffles and promises of recipes to be delivered via campaign HQ. Our evening was divided between an inspiring movie at the Jewish Film Festival and a silent auction at the Waldorf School. My mom and I were both touched by “Knowledge is the Beginning”, a documentary of a youth orchestra in the Middle East headed by Daniel Barenboim and Edward Said. This beautiful story shows the evolution of one man’s idea into a harmonious project that broke down cultural barriers and sparked mutual understanding and respect in a group of youths from Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and other countries. The levels on which this effort affected the young musicians gave a hopeful message to the audience. As the time to sway the voters narrows to only a few days, I wish there was a way for all Londoners to meet with my mom and ask her about her views and policies. There’s no doubt in my mind that, had she fifteen minutes in which to speak to every resident of London-north centre, she would win in a landslide. As it is, it’s nice, having come here, to feel that she has a good shot at being an MP. The word is spreading; MAYNIA is on the way. I’ll soon be packing my bags and speeding back to Ottawa by train. I’ll be back here for election-day. Hopefully my Queen mum will be elected, and I’ll have much more time to spend here.