Yes, I voted for the Bloc Québécois. Maybe I'm not the Bloc voter you pictured.

I was born at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal in the mid-1970's.

I grew up in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and lived most of my life in and around Montreal.

Like many Canadians this year, I felt that this election was lacklustre and full of negativity — mostly from the two main parties.

One party, trying everything to hold onto power, and the other, trying everything to gain power. I understand the struggle; this election wasn't my first rodeo.

Instead of the main party leaders speaking from the heart and really trying to do good things, it felt as though they were reading from a script.

And when they went off-script, they couldn't form a sentence without stammering.

They were too worried about saying the wrong thing or upsetting some of their constituents.

It's OK to make mistakes, guys. We're Canadians — we forgive easily.

I have always been a loyal Liberal supporter. My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles were all Liberal supporters, as far back as I can remember.

It made sense for me to follow suit.

Until this year.

This year, I decided to change my opinion on the political scene.

I voted Bloc.

Bloc Québécois supporters celebrate after a strong showing in Montreal on election night. (Charles Contant/CBC)

Let me explain why.

I love Quebec and its distinct society. I feel it needs to be protected.

Our way of life is unique in North America. We are a nation within a nation and as such, we need a voice at the federal level.

Quebec is different, and as I've been told my whole life, different doesn't mean wrong or bad.

What are the differences that need to be protected?

The secularism law

The law that protects secularism in the provincial government is important to me and a lot of my fellow Quebecers.

I know the Bloc will help protect our secular and distinct way of life.

Religion should never be part of government. Banning all religious symbols in all forms of public service makes sense to me. It just feels right. We are all equal, no matter what our backgrounds are or where we are from.

That being said, I will fight for religious freedom in Quebec, just as much as I will fight for the right not to be religious.

I know this sounds counterintuitive. But I agree that banning clothing associated with a particular faith is a clear way to show the separation of church and state.

With so many people believing an array of different ideologies, I believe the government needs to embody neutrality when dealing with all of its citizens.

We all know the ramifications of a religion-backed government.

Big oil, the NDP and Greens

I'm not an environmentalist, but there is a point when enough is enough.

The Bloc will protect Quebec from the far-reaching hand of Big Oil and what it means for our environment.

I don't want any more pipelines cutting through our Belle Province — even if it will benefit us financially.

You can never buy time. The more we pollute, the less time we have to live on this planet — maybe not our generation, but the generations to come. And time is almost up!

I feel that the Bloc can help on this front, without making us suffer the strict and unattainable goals the Greens and the NDP have presented.

Keeping big oil from taking over Quebec is something Burry hopes the Bloc will work to ensure. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)

Although some of the NDP policies are very interesting, they also seem very expensive and unattainable without a big boost from the taxpayer.

Full disclosure: I am a full-time truck driver. Because of the small yet necessary job I do to keep this country running, I use a lot of resources in the form of fuel.

If I had my way I'd be driving a truck that's more environmentally friendly. But technology has not advanced that far yet.

I do what I have to just to survive in this world. Trucking, for now, is a necessary evil. It will get better with time.

Why I couldn't back the Conservatives

I could never see myself voting Conservative. I feel as though they are borrowing from the United States a Republican style of politics.

Cut funding to social programs. Cut government oversight. Cut regulations that keep us safe.

It's an "everybody fend for themselves" type of attitude. No welfare or help for the poorest among us.

This brings me to my fourth point.

The Liberals

The longest-serving federal party in Canada. The elite. The cream of the crop.

Well, I'm happy they will be forming the next government. It's the lesser of two evils.

I'm also happy they will not have a majority government. They will have to work with other parties to decide what happens to our country.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party held onto power, but as a weakened minority government. (Sebastien St.-Jean/AFP via Getty Images)

But I feel as though neither the Greens nor the NDP could effectively represent Quebec's distinct and diverse society.

Only the Bloc understands.

It's like that old adage: if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

That's why I voted Bloc.

I feel as though the Bloc will look out for my values and my way of life.

The Bloc: far from perfect, but still ...

I'm an English-speaking, English-thinking Montrealer.

I have always felt that there is no place for me anywhere else in Canada or Quebec.

It's time for me to stop thinking this way.

I belong in Quebec, and I want to be represented by people who will take care of this uniquely awesome place.

The Bloc isn't perfect — we still have to deal with the sovereignty issue. But gauging from what I've seen living here in Quebec for so long, I don't feel it's much of an issue any longer among younger Quebecers.

So we have a provincial party dedicated to upholding what is distinct about Quebec, without the baggage of separation — I hope.

Yves-François Blanchet was named the new Bloc Québécois leader in January, 2019. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

This played heavily into my decision to vote Bloc.

Let's face it, politics isn't perfect, and there will always be different views and opinions. That's how we, as a people, decide what happens.

Even though my riding didn't go Bloc, I'm happy that I did my part and voted.

We gained many seats, and now the Bloc has a voice again in the House of Commons.

I'll admit, I could be wrong about all of this.

That's the great thing about democracy — when the time comes to vote, it can all change.

This is just one man's perspective.

At least I cared enough to do my part.