How to Write a Letter

If you can write a letter to a friend you can write a letter to a politician, newspaper or a business.

Letter Writing Guide:

Don't fail to write because you're afraid of doing it incorrectly. The most important thing to remember is that as long as you're sincere and polite, a letter of concern or thanks is welcomed and appreciated.

Federal/Provincial Governments

Use Proper Titles 

"The Right Honorable (name)..."M.P.
Prime Minister

"The Honorable (name)..."MP, MPP, MLA, MNA

House of Commons 
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6

Provincial Addresses: 

Do It Right Now !!

An easy way to communicate to your provincial and federal members is to regularly send copies of the letters you wrote on other various issues.

Be Supportive. 

If we want politicians to work for us we must work for them.  Ask questions like "how can I help to get this legislation passed or stopped?"

Together We Can Make A Difference

Municipal Governments 

Letters addressed to the mayor and members of council normally are distributed to everyone on council by the staff.

The municipal governments have more influence on your community than any other level of government.  Help your municipal government set a community standard of tolerance. Work with your councilor on issues of concern.  A community group is most powerful in organizing letter writing, petitions, phone calls and visits.  What happens in individual communities affects the attitudes in all levels of government, the judicial system, and the media.  Small town Canada can change big city Canada.

Click Here to find out who your M.P. is

Radio and TV Stations

The federal Government responding to public pressure has recently introduced a code to reduce the amount of TV violence.  TV stations must hear from people.  Complain about inappropriate programs and praise good programs.  Keep a note pad and pen handy while watching television to record comments about a program and what companies are advertising on the show.  People can make an important contribution to the campaign against violence by writing letters and making phone calls.

Copy letters to the CTRC and your MP

For local stations see your phone book.

Click here to locate your MP by using your Postal Code

Advertisements 

Many advertisements are exceeding the bounds of decency and are very offensive and disturbing.  We are often offended by advertising on TV, radio, written publications, billboards, etc.  When this happens write or phone the companies involved in producing, marketing the products, and in displaying the advertisement.

Send a copy of your letter to:

1. Canadian Advertising Foundation
   350 Bloor Street, East 
   Suite #402
   Toronto, Ontario 
   M4W 1H5
   
   

2. Your mayor and councilor if the ad is on city property, (bill boards, bus shelters, etc.)
   
   

3. The CTRC if the advertisement is on TV, radio, or telephone.
   
   

4. Your federal/provincial member of parliament.

Newspapers 

We all know the importance of good media coverage concerning any issue.  The local newspaper should express the concerns of the community.  Your voice can be heard in the "letters to the editor" section.  Your letter gives you an opportunity to correct, praise or refute opinions of statements made in editorials or news reports.  After the front page headlines, "letter to the editor" is the most read section in any paper.  About 60 to 80 percent of newspaper subscribers read letters to the editor.  Newspaper addresses are found on the editorial page of the paper.

Thoughts Into Actions

Suzanne Laplante-Edward, whose daughter Anne Marie was killed by Marc Lapine, says she used to write letters in her head while she was driving her car.  She would say to herself, "They're not going to get away with this.  We have to do something as a society."  But she never wrote the letters or sent them.  Now she understands how futile it is not to follow through on good intentions.  "One must make the effort to put it on paper to reach for the phone.  We all have our work, our children, our social life.  But if you know how important it is, you can find the time.  It is imperative that we reverse the tide of violence." (Homemaker's April 1994)

Letters - Phone Calls - Visits

1 person is helpful.

10 people are influential.

100 people are powerful.

1,000,000 people   are invincible.

Involve your friends, family, neighbors and colleagues in letter writing.  Have them sign your letter, or better yet, have them write their own.  When more people are involved in letter-writing, the effectiveness of each letter is multiplied.  A single voice does count, but when that voice is multiplied by one thousand it becomes ten thousand times as strong.  The effect is compounded.

Send mail to case@4case.ca with questions or comments about this web site.
© Copyright 2010, Canadians Addressing Sexual Exploitation
May be reproduced without permission, providing acknowledgement of C.A.S.E.  
as the source of this document is retained.
Last Updated: March 04, 2010