New council giving a voice to P.E.I.'s youth

A new youth council appointed by the provincial government recently had its first meeting and is eager to give youth a voice in government decisions.

Robert Larson and Nicole Mountain are two members of the inaugural 12-person Youth Futures Council. The role of the council is to represent youth and give them a voice when making recommendations to Premier Wade MacLauchlan and government ministers on ways to enhance services and policies.

Keeping youth on the Island

Larson, a Grade 12 student at Three Oaks Senior High School, said a concern he hears from youth is the lack of opportunities to be successful on the Island for young people.

"I really believe that P.E.I. needs to look at ways to continue to keep our youth here. We need to grow our population," said Larson on CBC Radio's Island Morning.

Mountain, a graduate of UPEI and Holland College, works in the tourism industry on the Island. She feel that, similar to other young professionals, her opinions are often not taken seriously by more experienced colleagues.

'We're just not heard'

"A lot of times we're just not heard," she said. But that is not the case on the youth council, added Mountain.

Since coming together in September, the council has engaged with government. But the council is still waiting to have a recommendation adopted.

"Those connections [with government] are going to be beneficial for us. I think that it will take some time, but we'll make a dent in it," she said. "And, that's what is really important is at least making a dent and making that transition into at least having a voice there."

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