Opportunities for the next generation.

As a mother raising my own family in Bonnechere Valley and through my involvement with local youth programs, I have seen how much young people benefit when they are given opportunities to participate, contribute, lead, and feel that they belong. We have incredible young people in our community. I believe we can do more to give them a voice and create opportunities that connect them to Bonnechere Valley.

A Youth Council for Bonnechere Valley One initiative I would like to explore is the creation of a Bonnechere Valley Youth Council. A Youth Council could give local young people an opportunity to learn about municipal government, identify issues that matter to their generation, develop ideas and initiatives, and bring their perspectives directly to Council. It could also provide valuable leadership and volunteer experience while helping Council better understand what young residents want from their community. This doesn't need to become another expensive municipal program. With the right structure, partnerships, and community involvement, I believe we can create meaningful opportunities without placing a significant burden on taxpayers.

More Than a Youth Council Supporting youth goes beyond creating one committee. I want to look for ways the municipality can support and connect young people with recreation, volunteering, community organizations, leadership opportunities, events and existing programs. We don't need the municipality to run everything. Bonnechere Valley already has volunteers, organizations, schools, clubs and community groups doing tremendous work. Sometimes government's role should simply be to help people connect, remove barriers, support good ideas, and make better use of the resources we already have.

Giving Families Reasons to Stay Investing in youth is also an investment in the future of Bonnechere Valley. If we want to attract young families, we need to think about what makes a community a great place to raise children. And if we hope our children will someday choose to stay, return, raise families, start businesses, volunteer and contribute here, they need opportunities to build a connection to their community now. We may not be able to offer everything larger municipalities can—and I don't think we need to. We can build on what makes a small community special: connection, belonging, participation and the opportunity for people of every generation to make a difference.