Queen’s Park – The Legislative Page Program – a great opportunity for students! Each year more than one hundred students from across Ontario take part in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario Page Program at Queen’s Park. The program provides students in Grade 7 and 8 with an exciting once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of the legislative process, learn more about how the Ontario government works and meet other students their age from across the province. With the program currently accepting applications, I believe it is important to highlight the program and the opportunities it gives students.
For those who don’t know, Legislative Pages are an integral part of the daily operations at Queen’s Park. During their two-to-four week term, Pages are kept busy in the Legislative Chamber with performing a variety of duties for MPPs and Cabinet Ministers. during our daily debates and Question Period.
Pages deliver messages between MPPs and their staff and run errands for members while they are busy in the house.
This role includes active participation in proceedings and they can often be seen on camera carrying out their duties, especially during the presentation of petitions when they are called upon to deliver the documents to the Clerk’s table after they have been read into the record. Pages learn different roles and practice learned leadership skills when they are the Head Page for a day. In addition to their role in the Legislative Chamber, participating students are taught the legislative process and are supervised by the program coordinator, who supervises the students, provides them with assignments and guides them on special activities such as field trips that occur during their visit.
While the program does not cover the cost of a student’s accommodations, program administrators will often work with successful applicants to find lodging and the program will help offset some of the student’s travel costs to Toronto, as well as their travel costs to get to and from Queen’s Park while they are part of the program. Successful applicants will also receive an honorarium of $15 per day as a way of thanking them for being part of the program.
Over the years dozens of students from across the Kenora-Rainy River riding have taken part in the program, and it is my hope that we will see many more during the spring sitting of Queen’s Park.
When I was in elementary school, a close friend of mine applied and was accepted into the program. It is an experience that stayed with her and gave her the experience and confidence to pursue many other exciting opportunities. The deadline for applications is November 15, with the next round of applications taking place from April 15 to June 15.
More information and applications forms can be obtained through any of my community offices, on my website at Sarah4NWO.ca, or by contacting the program administrators directly at 416-325-7457 or by email at page_program@ontla.on.ca. More information is also available on the Legislative Assembly Website at www.ontla.on.ca and by following the links to the Legislative Page Program on the right toolbar.
