2018 Youthfest

2018 YouthFest February 22, 2018 Becca Schofield 1999-2018 This report is dedicated to the memory of an outstanding youth in the Greater Moncton Area, Rebecca “Becca” Schofield who recently passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. Her #BeccaToldMeTo campaign not only affected our region, but people all over the world. Let’s keep her memory alive by making this world a better place. The Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee hosted the 13th Annual YouthFest at City Hall February 2, 2018. Approximately 100 students from the five area high schools; Bernice MacNaughton High School (BMHS), École l’Odyssée (Odyssée), Harrison Trimble High School (HTHS) Moncton Christian Academy (MCA) and Moncton High School (MHS) were in attendance. This was the first year students from the Moncton Christian Academy were invited to participate and the first year the school has representatives on the committee. Youth Committee members want to thank the following members of the Mayor’s Seniors Advisory Committee; Louise Gilbert, Susan Crawford, Greta Doucet, Payson Rowell, and Mary Carpenter, for volunteering their services to help the event run smoothly. Once again, in order to make the day more interactive for all participants, Turning Points software and electronic voting devices were used. Students were asked to respond to polling questions throughout the day with results being shown instantaneously on the screen. The results were automatically compiled into a report which is included in this report as Appendix “A”. Icebreaker Activity The day began with a game of rock, paper scissors in the lobby of City Hall. Nothing better to “break the ice” and get everyone in great spirits to start the day. Opening Remarks Mayor Arnold welcomed everyone to the 2018 YouthFest. A moment of silence was observed for the recent passing of Rebecca Schofield, a youth from Riverview who encouraged people to do random acts of kindness through her #BeccaToldMeTo campaign. Presentations Students received two presentations during the morning session. The first presentation was by Jillian Somers, Director of Tourism & Events, regarding Festivals and Major Events. The presentation explained why events are so important, the types of major events and the economic impacts. Ms. Somers’ presentation also touched on the City’s Events Attraction Study. A copy of the presentation is attached as Appendix “B” The second presentation was on Poverty & Homelessness. Nadine Melanson-LeBlanc, Community Development Officer – Recreation, provided information regarding the City’s Social Inclusion Plan, statistics on poverty and homelessness, possible causes. She also touched on the City’s priorities and provided them with a list of resources for youth in need of assistance or information. A copy of the presentation is attached as Appendix “C”. Mock Election YouthFest included a mock election for the position of mayor. Participants were asked if they were interested in running for mayor in the mock election on their registration sheet. Candidates were provided 2 minutes to answer the following question: "If you were elected mayor, what would you suggest we do with the Coliseum for youth?” The following nine students ran for the position of mayor: • Mohammad Alqadi (Odyssée) • Alexander McLaren (Odyssée) • Abigail Dingee (HTHS) • Jordan Richard (HTHS) • Sarah Gingles (BMHS) • Emilie Rousselle (Odyssée) • Sungyoun Kim (MHS) • Lauren Wilkins (BMHS) • Neha Kulkarni (MCA) Once all candidates answered the question, students went into the lobby to vote. Neha Kulkarni of the Moncton Christian Academy, who is also a member of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee, was elected mock mayor. Breakout Sessions After lunch, students were divided into four groups (two English and two French). The breakout sessions were regarding the two presentation topics: 1. Festivals and major events 2. Poverty and homelessness Members of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee acted as facilitators and scribes during the sessions. Key points raised were noted on flip charts. The comments provided during these sessions are included in the report Appendix "D". Mock Town Hall Meeting The members of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee took on the roles of mayor, councillors, City Clerk and facilitator during the mock town hall meeting. They deliberated whether or not the City should demolish an unsafe rooming house. Charles LeBlanc, Division Chief with the City’s Fire Department made a brief presentation on the topic being debated. His presentation included; historical background, case information, photos, information regarding the City’s authority, the pros and cons of demolishing the building as well as other options available to council. A copy of his presentation is included in this report as Appendix “E”. Other members of the City’s administration in attendance to answer questions included: Chief Eric Arsenault; Amanda MacNeil, Director of By-law Enforcement, and Jocelyn Cohoon, Director of Leisure Services. Marc Landry, City Manager, and Don MacLellan, General Manager Community Safety Services, were also in attendance as observers. The members of the mock Council asked a series of questions to Mr. LeBlanc in order to make an informed decision. 2018 YouthFest Report 2 • Is the City responsible to help displaced tenants alternate living arrangements? • Was this the first complaint received in the 40 years and how many complaints would it take before demolition is recommended? • Are there many other rooming houses in similar conditions in the City? • Is it the City’s responsibility to provide affordable housing? The facilitator then opened up the floor for questions from participants. Some of the questions/comments included: • Recent media coverage sensationalized situation which reflected badly on the City and the Fire Department when they were simply doing their job. • Homeless people need more than accommodations. Some have mental health problems. All three levels of government need to work together to find a solution. Mock councillors were torn between tearing down the building for safety reasons and the fact that the tenants would probably be left homeless. Some felt it was better to have a roof over tenants’ heads during the winter than no roof at all. Others felt the tenants’ safety and the City’s responsibility to ensure citizens’ safety were the priority. Recommendation from staff was as follows: That Council approve the demolition and attempt to recover the cost of demolition from the Province of New Brunswick. Students used their electronic voting devices to indicate if they were in favor of the recommendation. Results were tabulated with 85% being for and 15% against. Testimonials Four of the fifteen Committee members will be graduating in June delivered testimonials on their experience as a member of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee and why students should consider applying to be members. These are included in the report as Appendix “F”. Feedback Questionnaire The committee took advantage of the electronic voting devices to seek feedback from students on the event. These comments will be useful in the planning of next year’s event. Responses are included in the Turning Points Survey Results. Prize Draw Mayor Arnold drew names for a series of door prizes. This year’s grand prize was a pair of tickets in an opera box at the Capital Theatre to a show of the winner’s choice valued at approximately $150. Jessica McKillop of Harrison Trimble High School was the winner. 2018 YouthFest Report 3 Donations for Youth Q.U.E.S.T. Students participated in a challenge amongst schools. They were asked to bring donations (clothing, non-perishable food, toiletries, etc.). Three large boxes of donations were collected. These items were collected for Youth Q.U.E.S.T. Central, a multi-resource centre for youth aged 16-24 who are either homeless or at risk of being homeless. Harrison Trimble High School won the challenge and will be awarded a pizza party for the students from their school who attended YouthFest. Question & Answer Period with Mayor and Council Throughout the day, students were able to submit hand-written questions for members of Council to answer. Elected officials who participated in this session included: Mayor Dawn Arnold, Deputy Mayor Charles Leger, Councillor Greg Turner, Councillor Paulette Theriault and Councillor Pierre Boudreau. A transcription of the questions and answers is attached as Appendix “G”. The second portion of the session saw students answering questions from elected officials using their electronic voting devices. Results are captured in the Turning Points survey results. Closing Remarks by Mayor Arnold Mayor Arnold thanked everyone for coming. She encouraged students to get engaged, be informed and be part of trying to find the solution. She also encouraged them to speak up if something is going on as their voice is important. She also invited them to take part in the survey regarding the Smart Cities Challenge. Information was included in their gift bags. Mayor Arnold invited students to attend the TEDx Moncton talk on April 14th at the Capitol Theatre. She will be one of the speakers. In closing, she reminded students that the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee will be looking for new members as four students are graduating. Students should apply online or there were forms available at the exit of Council Chambers. The following vacancies will be created: • Bernice MacNaughton High School (1 vacancy) • École l’Odyssée (2 vacancies) • Moncton Christian Academy (1 vacancy) • Harrison Trimble High School (no vacancies) • Moncton High School (no vacancies) 2018 YouthFest Report 4 Respectfully submitted Members of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee BMHS: Peter An, Samantha Stordy and SunMin Park HTHS: Abigail Dingee, Emma Hayes and Emily Wheaton MCA: Julie Bandy, Autumn Guptill and Neha Kulkarni MHS: Jacob Finney, Tuan Pham and Alex Smith Odyssée: Mohammad Alqadi, Jamuna Bothé and Ireen Savoy 2018 YouthFest Report 5 Which grade are you? En quelle année es- tu? 1. Grade 9 / 9e année 2. Grade 10 / 10e année 3.

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