Students attend UBCM
Attending the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention (UBCM) in Vancouver from September 18-22 was an eye-opening experience for Grade 12 student Emily Armstrong of Salmon Arm Secondary School and Grade 11 student McKenzie Gyorkos of Pleasant Valley Secondary School.
UBCM’s annual convention brings together its local government and First Nations members to identify key policy issues and engage with other orders of government. Each year the Southern Interior Local Government Association (SILGA) sponsors one or two students to attend the convention.
Emily reported that throughout her week immersed in politics and government, she learned that if her generation wants the future to look different from the current world, they need to act now. Also, she added, she learned that most of the issues she sees and experiences in her community do not go unnoticed. “The Union of British Columbia Municipalities conference gave me insight into the steps and connections needed to create change,” she stated in a recent report to Salmon Arm Council about the opportunity.
McKenzie added after having this experience it has made it easier to understand the reason behind some decisions made. “I have now seen the behind the scenes of the process. It really does make you stop and wonder sometimes. I think that the most important thing I learned was how big of a role communication played. It was a prevalent theme all throughout the week in every session, meeting, and reception I attended,” she commented.
Both students mentioned that another revelation was that politicians are just human. “When I see these people on the TV they seem almost too important not to miss as they are the law makers, however, at the conference having a conversation with them was no different than any other person,” said McKenzie. Emily said that a takeaway for her was also that everyone there was human. “They understood I was lost (at the convention) and were surprised I was even at the convention in the first place. I had others express to me on multiple occasions that almost everyone there would not enjoy or be interested in the experience I was partaking in, at my age. To the public, politics and the people associated, appear intimidating because they hold so much power. From what I experienced, simply put, individually they possess the power to bring a message up the chain, to someone else. However together our government is a powerful interworking system that requires everyone to do their part, however small, to create change. That is what the public sees from the outside, a mass change resulting from one person speaking up when in reality it took hundreds of people time and effort to take into account the backlash, consequences, impacts and benefits for everyone before they can put anything into action. So, politicians are just people doing their jobs.”
McKenzie and Emily feel that they were able to bring a different perspective to the table. “How I saw discussions and issues would be through a different lens than someone who has been in politics for years,” said McKenzie.
Emily commented that she felt it is very important to involve youth in these discussions. “Climate change is here. The province of British Columbia has done a lot to reduce the effects of climate change like their target emissions and goals and the ‘“’Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy’. BC has just experienced the worst documented wildfire season to date. Municipalities are reacting, but will that be enough? By involving youth in the discussion around ongoing issues and possible solutions we can help young minds prepare for their future. Everyone is impacted, either personally, through family and friends or even online, meaning they understand the importance and need for action. Throughout my week, I saw how much of a process it takes to not only formulate change but implement it on a provincial level. My generation has big aspirations and if we wait any longer to put our vision into action, we will not be here to see them completed or the results.”
Emily has lived in Salmon Arm for seventeen years and has noticed lots of improvements that need to be made in the town. “What I didn’t know was that the City Council was, or had, already noticed the problem and started to take steps towards resolution. I found meeting with the Ministers very helpful to my image of my municipality. To see my city ask for what is needed regarding the present issues I and others are faced with was brilliant.”
Emily and McKenzie both applied for the opportunity to attend the UBCM.
Emily was approached by her leadership teacher about an opportunity to attend UBCM 2023. She applied through City of Salmon Arm. “I was asked to write a short statement about why I would like to go and the benefits of my attendance.” McKenzie commented she gave her letter of application to the Township of Spallumcheen and be nominated by them.The applications were then forwarded to the SILGA Executive Board and they chose who was going to represent them at the conference.
“I have always been quite interested in politics. As of right now I plan to go into land use planning after post-secondary where I would be able to work side by side with different levels of government,” added McKenzie.
“I gained insight into the procedures taken each year at the conference. I learnt that, if my generation expects to see any results from our innovations we need to act now because creating large-scale change takes time. My local government is doing more than what the public can see. At the end of the day, the government is constructed by people with opinions and feelings just like everyone else. I now see the amount of steps and work it takes to complete anything as a government, no matter the size,” summarized Emily.
