BY: KAYNE ALLEYNE-ADAMS
On Friday July 29th, 50 youth convened at Northwood Community Centre for the Ward 7 municipal youth council’s first in person meeting since the pandemic. The event consisted of some ice-breaker activities followed by a career panel and an informal policy case competition where the youth proposed community solutions to relevant issues such as transit delays, mental health, and gang violence.
Shemar Barnett, council vice president external, described the event as a strong showing. “I haven’t seen that sense of community in a minute,” he said. “It was great to see so many old and new faces in the same community.” He described the council as a group of likeminded thinkers with similar values. Shemar was particularly compelled by the career panel. “Jessica Pointon’s story illustrated concepts of vision. She bet on herself.”
Many participants saw the career panel as an excellent opportunity to network with community leaders and potential mentors. The panelists included local political organizers Ayesha Khan and Jessica Pointon, financial professionals Rebeca Batres and Christian Rugel, youth settlement worker Angie Barreno and Matias Dovitiis, a TDSB Trustee candidate. Shemar Barnett referred to the panel as, “the superheroes who pull our community together.”
For many of the panelists, the event was refreshing. Jessica Pointon said, “Sometimes, sharing your story is more worthwhile than you think it will be. Growing up, I didn’t have a lot of women, queer reps in the political sphere to look up to. I want to show that we are here.”
Ayesha Khan celebrated the youth council for showing “authentic and realistic perspectives,” through the career panel while supporting young community members in their personal, political and career development. “A lot of youth council members get involved in community organizations. You can always tell if someone came from the youth council. They are polished and experienced. It’s been great watching people grow.”
If you are interested in joining the Humber River - Black Creek youth council or learning more, please reach out to Amanpreet Chonkrian at amanpreetchonkrian@gmail.com.