On Friday, OUSA was invited to participate in a day-long National Roundtable on Canadian Youth, taking place on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and hosted by Justin Trudeau and his colleagues in the Liberal caucus. Dozens of individuals and youth organizations from across Canada participated, including groups such as Oxfam, Right to Play, Apathy Is Boring, and Scouts Canada, as well as individual youth who are making a difference in their communities.
The Roundtable is part of a larger initiative, spearheaded by Mr. Trudeau, to create a national strategy on youth engagement. OUSA previously participated in a smaller consultation in Toronto last summer and we were pleased to be invited once more to represent undergraduate students and ensure any national strategy includes improving higher education in Canada.
In his opening address, Mr. Trudeau asked all participants to place particular emphasis on at-risk youth throughout the day’s discussions. Given the myriad of social, cultural, financial, physical and geographic barriers that are keeping Ontario’s youth out of post-secondary, the request was a welcome one.
OUSA President Dan Moulton and I attended the morning breakout session on youth learning, chaired by Liberal MP Ken Dryden. With such a broad topic and so many voices at the table, Mr. Dryden did an excellent job of keeping the discussion centred on specific policy changes that would do the most for our youth. Dan and I used the opportunity to press the need to address low participation from traditionally underrepresented groups by investing in early outreach initiatives in communities across the country. In the afternoon, attendees returned from the breakout sessions to share their ideas in a lengthy roundtable discussion.
When all is said and done, the future of Mr. Trudeau’s initiative is still murky. He informed us that he has attempted to begin a discussion in parliament on a national youth strategy but was blocked by the Conservatives and the Bloc Quebecois. He admits that some of what emerges from this process will be used to inform the next Liberal platform and he doubts that a national youth strategy will be enacted unless the Liberals return to power.
Dan and I wish to thank Mr. Trudeau for inviting us to participate in the event.
Alexi White
OUSA Executive Director
