Don Davies, MP, with 2016 Create Your Canada winners Mabel Huang of Windermere Secondary School and Judy Gong of Gladstone Secondary School. Photo by Chelsea Charman

Two Vancouver Kingsway students, including one senior Windermere Leadership student, were the lucky recipients of an all-expense paid trip to Ottawa from June 12 to 14 to participate in Canada’s Parliament through the 2016 Create Your Canada contest, hosted by our local member of Parliament, Don Davies.

Started by Don Davies in 2009, this annual contest is open to all Vancouver Kingsway students taking Grade 11 or 12 classes.  Create Your Canada challenges students to propose ideas that they feel will make a better Canada or a better world.

The winning idea is submitted by Davies to Parliament where it is drafted into federal legislation in the form of a Private Members Bill. This year, the winning entry was jointly submitted by Mabel Huang from Windermere Secondary and Judy Gong from Gladstone Secondary.

Mabel is in Windermere’s Leadership program and has volunteered with a number of organizations including Youth Celebrate Canada Day and Windermere’s Climate Change Conference. She and Judy were selected for their proposal to introduce a national pharmacare strategy.

“We were inspired by the discussion of health care in my Law 12 class. We then researched and found out that of all the countries with a universal health-care system, Canada is the only country where prescription drugs aren’t covered,” said Mabel.

“We are looking for a feasible solution to give everyone an equal opportunity to access prescription drugs, since many citizens are not taking prescribed medications they need because they can’t afford it,” added Judy.

The winners were treated to a jam-packed two-day tour of Parliament Hill where they visited the House of Commons, Senate, Peace Tower, Library of Parliament, Sir John A. MacDonald’s office, and met many politicians from all parties. They also had time to visit the Supreme Court of Canada for a tour and the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec.

“This is a great way for youth to share their vision for our country,” said Davies. “I think it’s also an engaging and fun introduction to Parliament and the legislative process.”

Honourable mentions for the 2016 Create Your Canada Contest go to:

• Robin Horner from Windermere Secondary School for her idea to create a national strategy for mental health services for youth.
• Thien Ho from Sir Charles Tupper Secondary for his idea to create a national incentives program for the purchase or lease of electric and hybrid cars.

Don Davies funds the Create Your Canada program entirely by himself, and no taxpayer funds are used.

Copyright (c) 2016 Renfrew-Collingwood Community News