Tips on Writing Letters

Whether you are writing to a politician or a letter to the editor, writing a letter is one of the most effective tools for action and expressing your concern. Here are some tips for writing effective letters to politicians and editors.

• Letters to Politicians
• Letters to Editors

Letters to Politicians

1. Be respectful. They are more likely to listen to your point if it is not accompanied by abuse.



2. Tell them something about yourself. A simple phrase such as “I have spent the last 20 years hiking in the Castle area” creates a mental image which brings you and your point alive.



3. Be concise. Write on only one issue at a time, and clearly state your point early in the letter. Try to keep the letter to one page.



4. Make sure you are writing to the correct person.Consider whether the issue is a federal or provincial one. Consider which cabinet minister is responsible for the issue.



5. Request that a particular action be taken. A request such as “Please pass the legislation immediately that will keep oil wells out of our parks” has much more authority than “Please bare in mind the potential conflict between resource and natural values”.



6. Aim for the public interest. Explain why you think your request will benefit the public as a whole, not simply you and your friends.



7. Get the facts right. You do not have to have all of the facts (much less recite them all), but the ones you put in your letter must be correct. Do not let the fact that you are not an expert prevent you from voicing your opinion.



8. Express yourself naturally.Remember that this is your expressing what is on your mind. You do not have to sound like Lincoln or Churchill.



9. Ask for a reply. The best closing sentence is “I look forward to receiving your response”.



10. Consider if you should send a copy of the letter to anyone else. You local representative should always receive a copy of a letter you send to the Prime Minister, Premier or any cabinet minister. We at CPAWS are also always happy to receive copies of the letters you send to elected officials.

Federal - On Everything The Right Honourable Stephen Harper Prime Minister of Canada House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 Phone: (613) 996-6740 Fax: (613) 947-0310 E-mail: harper.s@parl.gc.ca

Federal - On National Parks, Endangered Species and Other Environmental Concerns The Honourable John Baird Minister of Environment House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 Phone: (613) 996-0984 Fax: (613) 996-9880 E-mail: Baird.j@parl.gc.ca www.johnbaird.com

Provincial - On Everything The Honourable Ed Stelmach Premier of Alberta 307 Legislation Building 10800 – 97th Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2B7 Phone: (780) 427-2251 Fax: (780) 427-1349 E-mail: premier@gov.ab.ca

Provincial - On All Environmental Concerns The Honourable Ted Morton Minister of Sustainable Resource Development 420 Legislature Building, 10800 – 97th Avenue Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6 Phone: (780) 415-4815 Fax: (780) 415-4818 E-mail: Foothills.rockyview@assembly.ab.ca The Honourable Rob Renner Minister of Environment 425 Legislature Building, 10800 – 97th Avenue Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6 Phone: (780) 427-2391 Fax: (780) 422-6259 E-mail: Medicine.hat@assembly.ab.ca Honourable Hector Goudreau Minister of Tourism, Parks, Recreation & Culture (to replace Community Development) 229 Legislature Building, 10800 – 97th Avenue Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6 Phone: (780) 427-4928 Fax: (780) 427-0188 E-mail: Dunvegan.centralpeace@assembly.ab.ca

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