A voter walks past a sign directing voters to a polling station for the Canadian federal election in Cremona, Alta., on Oct. 19, 2015. Newly released figures show the federal government set aside nearly $17.7 million on public awareness campaigns between April and June. The spending through the first three months of the federal fiscal year marks an increase of nearly 21 per cent compared to the same stretch in 2018 to pay for various government advertising. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh