Candidate Profile - Satinka Schilling

Jeff Green | Oct 17, 2019

It’s been a busy few weeks for Satinka Schilling, and last week as no exception. In her day job at the Perth Pie company the week before thanksgiving is just about the busiest of the year, and in the late afternoons and evenings she was on the campaign trail.

She knew this was going to be her life during the campaign when she was selected as the candidate by the local riding association in early August, but had to wait until September 16 for the national party to confirm her candidacy, which slowed her down quite a bit but since then she has put her stamp on the campaign.

You won’t see orange Satinka Schilling NDP signs around the riding, however, but you might see some orange ribbons around trees or fences or even on small maple seedlings dotting the landscape.

“We need to address climate change in every thing we do,” she said “and putting up single use plastic signs during an election campaign is not the signal that I want to send about my candidacy. Instead we have handed out orange ribbons and maple seedlings to supporters, as well as hand-made buttons.”

She has also distinguished herself in the campaign by talking openly about her financial circumstances.

“Because I have the most life experience living in poverty, issues around poverty are a priority for me and I am very passionate about that. I feel that I have something to offer for people who are neglected in the riding.

She noted that when she was working at Tim Horton’s and wanted to move on to another job that was more suitable for her skillset, she found herself compelled to stay because she had been in her job long enough to be eligible for health benefits.

“These are the kinds of circumstances people face, and this is why the NDP commitment to dental care is more than a campaign promise, it is something that many in this country, including myself, really need.”

For Schilling, who turned 24 last week, the campaign has been a learning experience, deepening her commitment to politics and to the NDP as well.

“I have found from going to door to door in certain parts of the riding there is very little awareness of the political system. Some people don’t know that there is a local campaign at all, they don’t know there is a federal and a provincial government, never mind how they share responsibility. That leads them having no interest in politics or in voting. It will take some work to change that,” she said.

As the campaign has progressed and the NDP has gone up in the national polls, she feels it has filtered down the riding.

“We have been getting lots of good feedback and donations over the phone and on social media from the success of our national campaign,” she said, “and in the 7 all candidates meetings I have attended there has been a good response to my message and to the party platform.

Schilling has taken on the role of local riding association Vice President and has applied to be a member at large of the NDP National Women’s Committee so her commitment to politics will not continue regardless of how the election plays out next week.

“The campaign has been exhausting, for sure, but I see the value of it. Some folks have talked to me about running again. I would want to start earlier, though, because going door to door to talk to people directly is very important.”