Youth and Innovation Forum: Generation Now, Building the Future of Tomorrow
By Stephanie Bertolo, Vice Chair, Young Canadians Roundtable on Health
On November 21st and 22nd, I attended the 2016 Youth and Innovation Forum hosted by Pollution Probe and Student Energy. This first-time conference attracted 60 youth from across Canada. By bringing together the voices of those with vastly different perspectives, the most innovative ideas surrounding sustainability and environment were able to emerge.
We first met at the Hard Rock Café on the evening of the 21st. Over hors d’oeuvres and social bingo, it soon became apparent what an incredibly talented and passionate group of people had come together. From undergraduates to PhD students to those employed in the environmental sector, everyone was a clear leader in their fields.
The next morning, we met again at the Ontario Trade and Investment Centre. We started off the day with a motivating speech from The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. She stated that the province is not bold or ambitious enough; we must grow to be so by foremost learning from the rest of the world’s environmental innovations, which will help to inspire our own. Her faith in youth made it clear that Ontario has great possibilities to move forward and become a leader in sustainability.
This then led us into the main portion of the day: The Innovation Jam. Based upon participants’ suggestions, several environment and sustainability challenges were presented. Youth broke out into smaller groups to focus on one of these issues. For two hours, we tirelessly brainstormed and ideated to develop an action plan that could be part of a larger solution.
At my table we discussed effective community collaboration. Change must be made to achieve a sustainable future. However, it is important that the change is agreed upon by community members and all those affected. Through discussion, we developed the idea of creating a generalizable conference structure that could successfully be applied in different settings to mediate community engagement. This conference would help communities discuss environmental problems and create solutions that would be best for individuals. There could be speakers, breakout sessions, and opportunities to get involved in other local projects. We, or those who take on our project idea, would provide community champions with the resources to set up these conferences in their neighbourhoods. This would include facilitation training and information about grant opportunities that could cover the financial costs of the conferences. In this way, the community would have ownership over the project, which is crucial for empowerment and sustainability.
Other tables also presented impressively innovative ideas surrounding sustainable living topics in Northern Canada, facilitating the transition towards a greener economy, and learning from the wisdom of Indigenous communities. With official note-takers at each table, all of the discussion was recorded, which will allow for the ideas to live on long after the Forum was over.
This being the first time the Forum was held, it was a fantastic event, inciting great ideas and meaningful connections between participants. I look forward to seeing how Pollution Probe and Student Energy apply what was discussed during the day to inform future projects. In addition, the event still has incredible potential and room for growth in future years. What is most important is that the organizers have taken a meaningful step to include the youth voice in building a sustainable future.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephanie Bertolo is from Hamilton, Ontario and is currently studying Arts and Science at McMaster University. Stephanie's passion for health and community drives her work with the YCRH, the Hamilton Community Foundation and several groups on McMaster’s campus.
Student Budget Consultation: Children First Youth Ambassadors Submit Recommendations to Minister Morneau
In November, the Canadian Minister of Finance, the Hon. Bill Morneau launched a process of national consultation with students across the country, seeking input to the federal budget.
The Youth Ambassadors for Children First Canada prepared a submission, calling on Minister Morneau and the federal government to invest in Canada's kids. Visit the Children First Canada website to download the report.
New report: 2016 child care fees in Canada’s big cities
Today, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives released a new report, A Growing Concern: 2016 child care fees in Canada’s big cities.
The study reveals the most and least expensive cities for child care in Canada. It examines median unsubsidized child care fees in Canada's biggest 27 cities for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, as well as the different subsidization regimes that reduce costs for low-income families. It finds Canada's child care systems can vary dramatically from province to province and city to city, but two things hold true in nearly all places: child care is expensive and regulated spaces are hard to find.
Via the Best Start Resource Centre
Governor General David Johnston: Let’s act on concussions and make sports safe again
The following op-ed by his Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston appeared in today’s Globe and Mail. For information on the Governor General’s Conference on Concussions in Sport, click here.
After my third concussion, the doctor said the choice was mine: wear a helmet and get laughed at, or don’t wear a helmet and never play hockey again.
Put that way, the choice wasn’t hard. I wore a helmet and got laughed at.
That was back when I was 15, during the days when no one wore helmets in hockey. But in a span of four months, I had suffered three concussions – two in football and one in hockey – and even though I didn’t want to take my doctor’s advice, I knew I had to if I wanted to keep playing the sports I loved.
And guess what? The laughter on the ice didn’t last long, and I never got my “bell rung” again.
It turns out I was very fortunate.
When it comes to concussions in sport, the medical evidence coming in from around the world is compelling: such injuries have significant short- and long-term health consequences and must be taken seriously. This is an important public health issue, not just for those who play sports, but for all Canadians.
Put another way, the time has come for all of us to take the doctor’s advice.
In terms of our approach to this issue, we can do better. And I believe we must. That’s why on Tuesday at Rideau Hall, we’re bringing together some of Canada’s leading authorities on sports concussions.
We’ll be joined by professional athletes and Hall of Famers, Olympians and Paralympians, medical experts, government leaders, coaches, teachers and parents.
We’ll be joined by Sport Canada, which is partnering with us to organize the conference. We’ll also be joined online by subject-matter experts and everyday Canadians from across the country through a webinar hosted by the Sport Information Research Centre. We’re reaching out broadly, at the grassroots level, to try to share with and hear from as many people as possible.
Our immediate goals for the conference are twofold: to raise awareness of the serious impact of brain injuries in sport, and to contribute to a national approach to make sports safer for all who play. That means athletes young and old, amateur and professional alike.
Together, we’ll talk about how to better prevent concussions from occurring in the first place. We’ll talk about how to detect, manage and monitor concussions that do occur. We’ll talk about the rules of play and how to educate coaches, parents, health professionals and players themselves on how to play more safely. We’ll cover all these bases and touch on as many sports as possible, because concussions can and do occur in all sports.
I was lucky as a teenager to have a doctor looking out for me who made me face the facts. I want to do the same for my 14 grandchildren and for all Canadians who want to play and enjoy sports safely and confidently, without hesitation and anxiety.
Unfortunately, a growing number of individuals and families are worried and asking the question: Is it safe to play sports? And yet sports are so important to healthy living and well-being. They’re part of our identities as individuals, as communities, as a country. They help us build so many life skills and bring us so much joy.
We have to ensure sports are played as safely as they can be, and when there are risks involved, that we’re aware of them and mitigate them to the greatest extent possible.
The choice of whether to act meaningfully on concussions in sport is ours, but I believe doing the right thing is never the wrong choice. We can and we must do better.
Watch the Governor General's Conference on Concussions in Sport live on Tuesday, December 6 and submit your questions to the panelists via Twitter by using #GGCC2016.