City of Powell River councillors are inviting young residents to submit applications for the newly revamped youth council.
Previously organized by city councillors Russell Brewer and Jim Palm at Brooks Secondary School in 2014, the reformulated council is now open to youth between the ages of 13 and 23.
“It is great to broaden the age range,” said councillor CaroleAnn Leishman, “as before we would get the gung-ho grade 12s, and then they would graduate and be gone.”
In addition to being more sustainable long term, Leishman said the wider age range might also help the youth council focus on a range of issues important to Powell River’s younger demographic, and added the council could potentially help keep young people in town after they graduate.
“A younger age group has a slightly different set of priorities,” said Leishman, “and there are many issues youth going into their 20s are concerned with as well.”
Issues dealt with by 2014 youth council included safe longboarding and development of the skateboard and bike park at Powell River Recreation Complex.
Once formed, the youth council will meet with supporting councillors once a month to develop a plan for identifying issues important to area youth, with the aim of eventually presenting plans to council.
“They will learn how to run meetings and form agendas,” said Leishman, “and learn the building blocks of how local government works.”
The idea for the new youth council format came from Brewer’s recent trip to a Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Edmonton.
Inspired by Edmonton’s youth council, Brewer returned with a vision to revive Powell River’s youth government.
“The City of Edmonton has a youth council that mobilizes on youth issues,” said Brewer. “I really wanted to bring that back here.”
Youth wishing to apply have until Friday, February 12, to complete an application at powellriver.ca/content/youth-council-questionnaire.
