OTTAWA – The annual meeting of the Prime Minister’s Youth Council was held on May 27 and 28 in Ottawa. Young leaders from across Canada came together to share their perspectives and ideas to make Canada more inclusive, more dynamic and fairer for every generation.
During the two days, Council members worked directly with government and civil society leaders on topics ranging from immigration and housing to innovation and mental health.
Here are the highlights of the meeting:
- The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, consulted with Council members on government priorities and important issues for Canadian youth.
- Engaging discussions on housing issues in Canada were held with The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, and Tim Richter, Co-Chair of the National Housing Council, leading to innovative solutions.
- The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, was present to lend his support.
- Council members also made their perspectives on immigration, housing and economic growth known during productive consultations with Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, as well as other key partners.
- Participants addressed mental health challenges and discussed funding for the Youth Mental Health Fund with the Honourable Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health.
- Ryan Turnbull, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, discussed initiatives aimed at improving economic accessibility for young people.
- Numerous ideas emerged from the consultation on improving the Government of Canada digital experience for young Canadians with Jenny Tremblay, Director General of Workforce and Youth Development at Service Canada.
The advice and feedback from these discussions will be essential in guiding future government decisions and ensuring a better response to the needs and ambitions of Canadian youth.
“Young Canadians are the leaders of today and tomorrow. But right now, the deck feels stacked against them. With youth council meetings like these and hundreds of others across the country, we’re speaking to young Canadians directly and working with them to make Canada a lot fairer, in areas like housing to health care to innovation. When young people succeed, we all succeed.” – Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
“As we conclude the annual meeting of the Prime Minister’s Youth Council, we take with us the shared commitment to empowering Canadian youth. I am confident that the discussions and recommendations put forward will have a tangible impact on future policies to better meet the needs of young people across the country.” – Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth