The following column was submitted to our sister Glacier Media site, Alaska Highway News, from Bob Zimmer, MP for Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies.
As a father of four, I know how important it is to listen to our youth, to hear their perspectives on the issues of the day, and to use that knowledge and energy to work towards positive change for our region.
That is why I have decided to set up a Youth Advisory Council.
The council will be made up of five to 10 young adults between the ages of 16 to 25 who will meet once a month to discuss issues like agriculture, oil and gas, education, or other topics of interest and to provide their unique points of view.
The goal of the Youth Advisory Council is to give our region’s younger generation a voice, to challenge each others’ views constructively, and to offer suggestions on how they would improve legislation or motions in the House of Commons. Anything a member brings to the council will have a chance to be a part of the work that I do both in Ottawa and in our region.
If the Youth Advisory Council is something you are interested in being a part of, please send an email to [email protected] answering the following questions and include a copy of your resume:
- What are some of the biggest issues that you face during your day-to-day life that you think should be addressed?
- What ideas do you have that you think I need to hear?
- Why do you think it’s important for you to be on the Youth Advisory Council?
The council’s co-chairs Kaylee Lindberg and Katie Haab will be going through each application thoroughly and those who are selected will be contacted with further details.
The first meeting will take place in late summer on Zoom or in-person depending on COVID-19 health and safety restrictions at that time.
I decided to establish the Youth Advisory Council because I wanted to help get our region’s youth more involved in the issues of today so they can make real changes in Canadian politics.
I’m excited to get this started and to hear from, and work with, our region’s future leaders.
