One of the ways to inspire the youth to get into politics is to have them voice their concerns according to MRC Pontiac Warden, Jane Toller when she spoke about the return of the Youth Council.

“When I was on the Toronto City Council we had a youth council and I saw the benefits for decision making in giving the youth a voice and . . .

felt that it would also be an opportunity for students who might potentially be interested in a political career,” said Toller.

MRC Pontiac started a youth council in 2019, and were able to run for a whole year but after COVID-19 restrictions were put in place, it became a challenge. It is made up of a president, vice president, a secretary and a treasurer, and representatives from all 18 municipalities in the Pontiac region from ages 13 to 18. Besides Toller, a representative from Carrefour Jeunesse will also be a part of the council.

Toller believes young people involved in the council will allow the MRC to make informed decisions around youth issues and better understand what projects or initiatives they hope to see happen in their own communities.

“We want to know what their priorities are,” said Toller

Some of the concerns that students brought to the table in 2019, were things like insufficient transportation between municipalities, the lack of a youth centre and mental health. With lockdowns and the pandemic, Toller pointed out that talking to the youth about mental health support and counseling will be on the top of her agenda.

Seeing an increase in people moving to the Pontiac, Toller wants to ensure she can grow the economy here in this region. With that, she hopes to open a discussion around what jobs high school graduates see themselves doing in the region, as well as what courses they would be interested in taking, in order to provide them with all the resources they may need to succeed in their region.

“Just the experience of sitting on it I think is something that would benefit any student and would also be a good thing to have on your resume,” she said.

Because it is a voluntary position, Toller explained that the MRC Pontiac is planning on reimbursing parents for the transportation when it’s safe again to meet in person.

Since creating the council Toller highlighted that she is proud to be the first in Quebec to introduce a Youth Council. “I thoroughly enjoyed the meetings that we had in that year and just missed it and I’m looking forward to getting back to it. And I think that if nothing else, it really gave the youth a feeling that the MRC, in particular, cared enough to know about their opinion on things.”

If you are interested in local politics, youth can contact Jane Toller by email at prefete@mrcpontiac.qc.ca or by telephone at 819-647-8198.

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