Waverley Drive student participates in Ontario’s Legislative Page Program
April 13, 2017
GUELPH, Ontario – A student from Waverley Drive Public School was one of a few lucky youths in Ontario that participated in the province’s Legislative Page Program.
Grade 8 student McGowan took part in the program at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in Toronto from Feb. 21 to March 9, 2017.
Each year, 140 students across the province are selected to participate. It’s a competitive program with hundreds of students applying each round.
Open to students in grades 7 and 8, the program provides students with a unique educational experience. They have the chance to see the legislature in action and learn more about the Legislative Assembly. While in the program, they meet politicians and key parliamentary players, and have the chance to make friends with students from across Ontario. Students who are selected are high-achieving, driven and involved in their communities. They also have demonstrated leadership skills and responsibility.
McGowan said that there were many fun times throughout the program including witnessing Question Period, as MPPs addressed and debated each other. Even when QP got tense or funny, the students in the Page Program kept their decorum and maintained expert “poker faces.” McGowan had a strong interest in politics before starting the program, but he learned some interesting new things, including that the Lieutenant Governor must grant Royal Assent before a bill becomes an act.
Moreover, McGowan said the time he spent in the program was one of the best experiences of his life. And an added bonus? He left Queen’s Park with 22 new friends in 22 new cities.
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