Verbal communications 
“Don't organize in the spirit of antagonism; that should be beneath your consideration.”
—Mark Hanna

It is only by talking with your neighbours that you will learn if they too are discontented with the way the condo is being managed and if they are having problems or concerns with their units or the management.

After talking and listening to the other unit owners, you will know if you can build a political base that will give you the opportunity to change the board.

Controlling communications
“To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.”
—Frederick Douglass

The board and the manager want to control what the owners and the residents hear and see.

To some degree that is understandable. When negative, libelous or incorrect information is posted on the property, it must be made clear to everyone that it had not been sanctioned by the board or the manager.

That is why the manager has to initial all notices that are posted on the condo's bulletin boards and in the elevators and no unauthorized notices are allowed to be posted on the property.

Most condo's have rules preventing residents, or outsiders, from posting notices on the property and and distributing flyers from door to door.

Some condos go further and prevent residents from sitting in the lobby or even using the hallways and walkways for anything else but going to and from your units.

You need to know these rules and in the main, follow them. However, keep in mind that a condo corporation is a democratic one and the courts will not look kindly at a dictatorial board that prevents free speech and infringes on the owners' democratic rights.

Political activity is not the same as promoting private interests.

Word of mouth
In the beginning, you need to know if you have any support among the owners. Ask a casual question or two in the elevator, in the parking garage or in the lobby. You can meet the smokers outside and chat with them.

From these conversations, you will get to know who is unhappy with the present board and the manager and what their issues are. You also get the chance to state what you think needs to be changed.

Later, you can ask if they are interested in trying to replace the board and/or the manager an if they know any other owners that are unhappy.

Finally you ask them if they are willing to actively help you change the board.

Lobby lizards
You should also see if any of the lobby lizards will help by talking with the  owners and by giving you the names and unit numbers of all disgruntled owners they know. It is leads like these that help you build your political base within your community.

Be positive, be polite
Always be cheerful, polite and civil. If someone is not interested in what you are saying, tell them that that is fine but if they have any questions later on, please come by anytime and ask.

Keep track of your success and add all new contact information into your data base; who is with you, who is against and who is not sure.

When talking with the other owners never swear or tell crude jokes. Never call the board members or the manager names, accuse them of criminal acts or try to belittle them. Negative attacks don't give lasting results.

Never threaten or intimidate anyone. Most importantly, do not belittle a resident because they do not support you.

Once you have assembled a group of like-minded owners, it is time to canvas all of the residents to:

1.	Introduce your group and leave contact information.
2.	Canvas for support
3.	Find out if they are owners, renter or residents.
4.	If residents, get the owner's names and contact information.
5.	Collect names, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and the best times to call.
6.	Inquire about their issues/complaints.
7.	Determine if they are supporters, opponents or undecided.

Guidelines for going door-to-door
There are important guidelines to follow when going door-to-door and it is very important to follow them. They are:

1.	Always go in pairs. Two women or a man and a woman is less intimidating than teaming up two men.
2.	Canvas only from the early afternoon to about 5:00 pm and then from 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm. No later than that.
3.	Don't get into arguments or use loud voices. If they are not interested, stay polite, leave an information sheet and move on.
4.	Don't get bogged down for too long at one unit. You have a lot of units to canvas.
5.	Don't leave any literature that can end up falling on the hallway carpet. You will be accused of littering and adding to the cleaner's workload.
6.	If someone says that you are frighting them or they feel intimidated by you knocking on their door, they have most likely been coached to act that way by the manager or the corporation lawyer, especially so if they are a man. Record what was said, the time and then move on.
7.	If a residents say that they do not want anyone knocking on their doors, then put them on a "Do Not Bother" list.
8.	Break the work up into different floors for different teams.
9.	If the superintendent, the manager or a security guard comes up to say that you are breaking the condo's rules by trespassing or soliciting, calmly tell them that they are wrong and that you are exercising your freedoms that are protected by the courts.
10.	If anyone threatens or intimidates a canvasing team, document all the particulars and consider signing a police complaint. This could be useful later in civil court.

The police
If you have any reason to think that the board or the manager may phone the police on your canvassing teams, go to the police station before-hand and explain to the officer in charge what building you live in, briefly what the issues are and what you are planning to do. Give him a contact number so he can get in touch with someone if the police have any issues.

Give the name of the officer that you spoke to and a copy of the officer's business card to any police officers who challenge your canvas teams.

If the board calls the police on you, do not become frightened. Explain to the police that you are lawful residents and that you are a joint-owner of the hallways and other common elements. Explain that you are entitled to canvas door-to-door under the Condominium Act and those rights have been upheld by Superior Court Justices.

Further explain that they are getting sucked into a civil dispute and that they should check with their superiors at their station on what legal rights you have.

If you have already retained an experienced condominium lawyer, tell them so and give them his or her's business card.

They should back off. If they don't, tell them you will be going to their station the next day to lay a complaint.

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