For many students, having a voice in local decision-making can feel distant or abstract. At St. Michaels University School, Rain Dai, Grade 11 and Samantha Hann, Grade 12 stepped into that space directly, co-chairing a district-wide Saanich Mayor’s Youth Council meeting and engaging in conversations about issues shaping their futures.
The second meeting of the council, hosted on Jan. 14, brought together student representatives from Saanich high schools, alongside Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock and Councillor Teale Phelps Bondaroff. The discussion focused on issues affecting young people, while also giving students a clearer understanding of how local decisions are made and how concerns can be communicated effectively.
Students Leading Conversation
Throughout the meeting, students drove the conversation by posing a wide range of questions that reflected both curiosity and concern. Some asked what changes might be on the horizon for young people in Saanich, while others pressed more directly on challenges such as housing affordability and the rising cost of living.
Other questions revealed a desire to better understand civic life itself. Students asked what a typical day looks like for a mayor, what issues residents raise most often, and how decisions are made at the local level. Several also wanted to know how they could become involved, including what steps they might take to pursue local politics or support causes they care about.
“Hearing directly from young people is essential,” the mayor said, noting that youth perspectives are often missing from municipal conversations. He acknowledged that those with the time to attend council meetings tend to be older residents, and emphasized that opportunities like the Mayor’s Youth Council help create space for students to share what matters most to them.
Learning How Civic Engagement Works
Students in attendance described the experience as both empowering and eye-opening, noting that hearing directly from elected officials helped demystify how local government works and made civic engagement feel more immediate and relevant to their lives.
The council itself was initiated by Grade 12 Claremont Secondary student Gus Kirby, who identified a lack of youth representation in local government and worked with educators and municipal leaders to help create a forum for student voices.
A Student-Led Process
For Dai, the Mayor’s Youth Council has been as much about the learning process as it has been about discussing issues.
“We’re learning how to develop ideas into proposals and how to pitch them in a way that fits within the system,” he highlighted.
Meetings follow a formal structure, with students taking turns chairing and introducing motions, as leadership responsibilities rotate among participating Saanich schools over the course of the year.
A Meaningful Opportunity to Participate
For students involved, the experience offered more than insight into municipal politics. It provided a chance to practise civic engagement in real time. By asking questions, sharing perspectives, and learning how decisions are shaped, students moved from observing civic processes to actively participating in them.
With guidance from educators and space to lead independently, students were encouraged to take responsibility for both the conversation and their role within it, reinforcing the value of youth voices in shaping the communities they are part of.
Photo: Mayor Dean Murdock Facebook page
