Ahead of the upcoming municipal election, a local resident’s objections to past remarks made by a city council candidate have led her to register as a third-party advertiser.
Tania Cameron says she plans to buy radio ads and signs opposing Karla Treadway, Tyler Johnson and Chris McCaffrey, who are running as an impromptu bloc under the banner “A New Vision for Kenora.”
Her concerns centre on remarks she attributes to Treadway in podcast discussions about residential schools and reconciliation. She also opposes Johnson and McCaffrey because they are sharing their campaign banner with Treadway, though she acknowledged she has not reviewed their individual platforms.
The three candidates say they share a goal of revitalizing Kenora’s downtown area. However, each is campaigning individually, and the trio says they don’t necessarily see eye to eye on every single issue.
Cameron, a member of Niisaachewan Anishinaabe Nation, told the Miner and News what she heard Treadway say on her past podcast appearances was painful as someone whose family members attended residential and day schools.
Among Treadway’s comments are “certain cultures don’t mix,” “I don’t know how you’d actually determine whether abuse [in residential schools] actually happened, other than hearsay,” and “some cultures are just better than others, but you’re not allowed to say that.”
Cameron, meanwhile, also believes Johnson and McCaffrey should be prepared to answer questions about their association with Treadway.
Treadway and Johnson discussed their views in separate interviews with the Miner & News before Cameron announced her advertising plans. Treadway rejected Cameron’s characterization of her views, saying residential schools should never have existed and the suffering they caused was real, before reiterating that historical claims and institutions operating in the name of reconciliation should remain open to scrutiny and discussion.
Johnson made it clear that he, Treadway and McCaffrey share a common downtown goal, but also that each has individual ideas about how to achieve it. Asked about truth and reconciliation, he described progress since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as an “utter disappointment” and said that he believes he could work effectively with surrounding First Nations and Indigenous residents if elected.
The Miner & News sought McCaffrey’s comment for its earlier article about the shared campaign banner and issues raised during the election. He had not responded by the time that article was published.
Speaking with The Miner, Cameron said she first looked into third-party advertising while doing voter engagement work in Alberta. After learning she could apply to register in Kenora, she began considering signs and radio time.
In a post on social media, Cameron says the ‘Why?’ of her campaign is because “we need to call out the old politics of division and harmful views that won’t build a healthy, strong, and inclusive Kenora.” Regarding the candidates in question, she added, “It may be views publicly shared by one, but since they decided to run as a bloc, I’m campaigning against the trio.”
She said she wants the radio ads to use Treadway’s own words. Cameron has priced out signage and opened a separate bank account for the campaign. She said she received more than $2,000 within 48 hours of asking for donations online. The money is intended for signs and radio time.
Cameron said she is organizing the advertising herself and has not discussed her plans with any candidate or campaign. She has also held two local training sessions for people interested in helping others vote.
Cameron is also framing her campaign as part of a larger “Rock the Indigenous Vote” movement that is taking place in many different areas across the country, owing largely to a significant number of upcoming elections set to take place soon.
Ontario’s municipal election rules allow registered third-party advertisers to pay for ads supporting or opposing candidates, subject to campaign finance and advertising requirements.
You can contact Cameron’s campaign or donate via email at rockthevote2026@gmail.com. Donors must be residents, corporations or trade unions in Ontario.
