Convention 2023
We’re excited to welcome Greens from across the province to join us for our 2023 Annual General Meeting.
Registration has closed. Please call the office at 1-888-647-3366 if you'd still like to attend.
Save the date
When: September 22-24, 2023
Where: Crowne Plaza Kitchener-Waterloo (105 King St East, Kitchener, ON N2G 2K8)
This year we will hear from Leader Mike Schreiner, discuss and vote on policy, elect new Provincial Executive members, recognize some amazing volunteers and so much more!
More details to come, but see below for a basic outline of the agenda for this year’s AGM in Kitchener at the Crowne Plaza hotel.
| Friday September 22 | Saturday September 23 | Sunday September 24 |
| 2:45 PM – Registration opens | 7:30 AM-9:00 AM – Breakfast | 7:30 AM-9:00 AM – Breakfast |
| 3:15-4:30PM – Local Tours Self-Guided Art Tour REEP House Communitech |
9:00 AM – Opening Plenary | 9:00 AM – Plenary (discussing policy and constitutional motions) |
| 4:30-6:30PM Voting for Provincial Executive Elections | 10:45 – Workshops 1. Conflict Resolution Training (CultureAlly) 2. CFOs: Avoid These Top 5 AR-1 Pitfalls (Katarina Dunham) 3. CA election readiness – Pt 1 – Building Your Plan (GPO Mobilizing Team) |
12:00 PM – Lunch |
| 5:00-6:00 – Francophone and Young Greens Caucus meetings | 12:00 PM – 1 PM – Lunch | 1:00 PM – Workshops 1. CA election readiness pt 2 (GPO Mobilizing Team) 2. Young Greens organizing 101 (YG Co-Chairs) 3. Policy development between conventions (Fiona Jager) |
| 6:15 PM – Welcome! | 1:00 PM – Leader’s Address | 2:30 PM – Closing and wrap up |
| 6:45 PM – Buffet Dinner | 1:35 PM – 5:00 PM – Campaigning in Kitchener Centre | |
| 7:45-9:00 PM – Stephen Jackson, CEO, Anishnabeg Outreach – Volunteer Awards – Special guests |
6:00PM – Reception | |
| 9:00 PM – Hospitality Suite, hosted by Don Valley West CA | 7:00 PM – Dinner | |
| 8:15 PM – Victor Doyle, lead planner of the Greenbelt Plan | ||
| 9:00 PM – Hospitality Suite, hosted by Guelph CA |
Hotel Rooms and Parking
The hotel will provide a private web link to reserve rooms at our special group rate. Register for the AGM to receive the link and be sure to book by August 21st to secure this deal!
Discounted parking rate of $8 per vehicle, per day for delegates (Regular rate – $12)
Registration Prices/Deadlines
Registration has closed. Please call the office at 1-888-647-3366 if you’d still like to attend.
*Reminder*
Registration fees for attending annual general meetings will count towards an individual’s contribution limit for 2023 and are eligible for a tax receipt.
Important Dates
- Policy Resolutions: Draft deadline July 7th, 2023. Final version must be submitted before Friday August 4th, 2023 at 5pm.
- Provincial Executive (PE): PE Nominations close August 4th, 2023. Voting starts August 25th, 2023. Mail in and online voting closes Sept. 18th, 2023 at 5pm. In person voting at the AGM ends September 23rd, 2023 at 1pm.
- Volunteer Awards: Nominations close August 25th, 2023.
- Last day to become a member to rank policy and vote for PE by mail: August 11th, 2023
- Last day to become a member to rank policy and vote for PE online: September 4th, 2023.
- Last day to become a member to vote in person for PE and attend convention: September 8th, 2023
These are the minutes from the 2022 convention. Members will need to approve these minutes at this year’s convention.
Policy Process
Do you have an idea that you want our elected MPPs and candidates fighting for?
There are many ways you can participate in our 2023 convention.
As a GPO member, you can
- share your ideas
- give meaningful feedback on submitted policies
- help choose which Policy Statements matter most
- discuss, learn and vote at the 2023 GPO Convention
Plenary and Voting
Plenary is the part of the convention that is attended by all participants (as opposed to the other breakout sessions throughout the weekend). In the GPO, we use the term plenary to refer to the parts of our convention where we consider and vote on constitutional, policy and directive resolutions.
To learn more about how we vote on the policies during the convention, please read our Plenary and Voting information.
Provincial Executive
Every year the party holds internal elections for our governing board, called the Provincial Executive (PE). The PE is responsible for the governance of the Green Party of Ontario and sets the strategic goals, annual plan and budget for the party. You can read all about this year’s candidates and learn more about how to vote here: https://gpo.ca/pe-elections/
Open positions for 2023/2024:
- President (1 position)
- Chief Financial Officer (1 position)
- Eastern (2 gender diverse positions)
- Southwestern (2 gender diverse positions)
- Toronto (2 gender diverse positions)
- Northern (2 gender diverse positions)*
- Young Greens (2 gender diverse positions)
*by-election to fill vacancies
How do I run for the PE?
Members wishing to stand for election to any position on the Provincial Executive must:
- be nominated in writing to the Party office by 5pm Eastern Time on August 4th, 2023.
- be nominated by at least 5 members eligible to vote for the nominee and in good standing.
- Candidates for Regional Representative positions (Eastern, Southwestern, Toronto, Northern) may only stand for election in the region where they maintain their principal residence.
- Members wishing to stand for election for province-wide positions (President, Chief Financial Officer, Young Greens) which are voted on by the entire membership, must be nominated by an additional 10 members, and those members must come from 3 of the 6 geographical regions recognized by the Party.
If you are interested in running for the PE, email pe_elections@gpo.ca indicating the position that you are running for, the names of your sponsors, and their emails.
Volunteer Awards
The Lois James Legacy Award recognizes volunteers who have demonstrated exceptional service and commitment to building the Green Party of Ontario (GPO). Lois was a decades-long volunteer with the GPO, and was an integral part of the creation of the Rouge National Park.
The Community Involvement Award recognizes volunteers with a proven track record of engaging citizens in the promotion of Green values such as building strong communities, fostering local economies and promoting health & well-being in Ontario.
The Rising Star Award will recognize a newcomer (3 years or less) to the GPO who has shown enthusiasm and ability in volunteering for their Constituency Association (CA), a campus group, or the GPO office and have demonstrated a positive, motivating spirit.
The Becky Smit Party Builder Award recognizes someone who has shown an unwavering commitment to the Ontario Greens and has played an integral role in building party capacity, credibility and electoral success.
Nominate a volunteer for one of these awards by emailing volunteerawards@gpo.ca with the name of the volunteer, the award you think they deserve and why by 5pm on August 25th, 2023.
Equity Policy
Promotion and Protection of Diverse, Equitable, and Safe Spaces
(13.1) The Green Party of Ontario (the Party) is committed to providing an environment free of discrimination and harassment, where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, can contribute fully, and have equal opportunities. (13.2) Under the Ontario Human Rights Code, every person has the right to be free from harassment and discrimination. Harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated, condoned or ignored at the GPO. (13.3) The Party also recognizes that harassment and discrimination limit the ability of people to participate fully in organizations such as ours and therefore in the practice of the democratic values that our organization endorses. Concomitant with its mission to elect Members of Provincial Parliament and impact Ontario politics, then, the GPO pro-actively supports building awareness of harassment and discrimination and providing for the equitable participation of all Ontarians in the political process. (13.4) The Party is committed to a comprehensive strategy to address harassment and discrimination in the organization, including: (13.4.1) Establishing, publicizing, and regularly revisiting this article; (13.4.2) Providing training and education to ensure that all Party members and staff know the rights that are provided to them and to visitors at GPO events, the responsibilities they have under this article and Human Rights legislation, and the processes and procedures to follow in the event of a complaint; (13.4.3) Monitoring organizational systems to help ensure their design and function minimizes opportunities for harassment or discrimination and maximizes safety and inclusivity; (13.4.4) Providing an effective, accessible, and fair complaints procedure for both complainant and respondent; (13.4.5) Promoting appropriate standards of conduct at all times; (13.4.6) Ensuring that disciplinary or restorative measures are imposed, as necessary and as determined by process; (13.4.7) Promoting diversity on all committees and in all decision-making bodies. (13.5) To achieve the goals and commitments in this Article of the Party’s Constitution, the Party shall have: (13.5.1)The Safe Spaces Committee which shall be responsible for addressing institutional matters as they relate to this Article (13.5.2)The Conduct Committee which shall be responsible for investigative processes, disciplinary matters and enforcement of this Constitution, Party Bylaws, Member Code of Conduct, and the Ontario Human Rights Code.