Students Challenged to "Create Your Canada!"

Joined by secondary school students and members of the community panel which will select the winning submission, London MP Irene Mathyssen (London-Fanshawe, NDP) kicked off her “Create Your Canada” contest at her constituency office on January 22nd.

MP Mathyssen is joined by Clarke Rd. S.S. students (left to right): Josh Parsons, Michael Ridout, Yoel Emun, Greg George, George Ridout, and Krysta Elliott, for the contest kick-off

The contest challenges London secondary school students to draft legislation they think would make Canada better. A panel of local community leaders including; United Way London’s CEO Andrew Lockie, Ward 6 City Councillor Nancy Branscombe, /A\ London General Manager Don Mumford, the Association of London Muslims’ Mohammed Yassine, and OSSTF’s Colleen Canon, will evaluate the submissions and select a winner.

The winning entry will be submitted to the Clerk of the House of Commons to be drafted into legislation. Once it is ready for presentation the winning student and a chaperone will be Mathyssen’s guests in Ottawa, with roundtrip travel provided by VIA rail. In Ottawa the student will join Mathyssen in the House of Commons, to see his or her bill tabled as legislation for consideration by Canada’s Parliament.

“As a teacher prior to my election to parliament, I know our students have great ideas about what Canada can and should be. The political decisions of today will impact them in so many ways, so I wanted to give London area students an opportunity to help shape their own future,” said Mathyssen. “London students delivered when my colleague Charlie Angus (NDP MP, Timmins-James Bay) and I challenged them to stand up for the students in Attawapiskat. The Minister announced in December that the community of Attawapiskat would get the new school it so badly needs. The youth of our community, of our country, were not only heard in parliament, they won the battle! Through this contest, I hope to give students the chance to continue making their voices heard in Ottawa.”

“Too many politicians feel that youth don’t matter because they don’t vote, which leads our youth to feel that politics doesn’t matter. So when Irene asked me to be a judge in this contest, I was delighted to be asked and immediately said yes. I think it is a great way to show young people that some politicians do care, some of us do listen, and some of us value good ideas no matter where they come from,” said Councillor Branscombe.

"Create your Canada is a superb idea!", says Don Mumford. "I accepted the judging invitation immediately. The extensive promotion provided by /A\ will ensure high school students, teachers and parents are all aware of the contest and reinforce this huge opportunity to personally engage Canada's Parliament. I applaud this positive initiative by Irene."

/A\ London arranged for students from the Original Kids Theatre Company to join Mathyssen and students from her alma mater Clarke Rd. S.S. to produce a television promo spot which will air until the contest deadline on March 12th. The Thames Valley School Board is distributing materials to all the secondary schools in London, and students can also download the materials online at: http://irenemathyssen.ndp.ca/node/995