Western Canada Youth Parliament

Last updated
Western Canada Youth Parliament
Predecessor Youth Parliament of Canada
Formation1983;42 years ago (1983)

The Western Canada Youth Parliament (WCYP) is a biennial [1] event that brings together delegations from the British Columbia Youth Parliament (BCYP), the Alberta Youth Parliament, the Saskatchewan Youth Parliament (SYP) and the Youth Parliament of Manitoba (YPM) for a four-day parliamentary session, usually during the Victoria Day long weekend. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] The hosting for the WCYP rotates amongst these four youth parliaments. [7] [8] [9] The members at each session of the WCYP debate resolutions in the form of legislation. The rules of parliamentary debate for each WCYP are those of the host province.

Contents

WCYP formation and history

The first recorded discussion of holding a western Canadian youth parliament was in 1959. [10] That year, the members of the Alberta Youth Parliament debated but defeated a resolution supporting the creation of a "Western Canada Older Boys' Parliament." It would be over twenty years before the next proposal for a western Canadian youth parliament occurred. In 1981, the Youth Parliament of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario (as it was then known) organized the first Western Canada Youth Parliament as a project to commemorate their 60th anniversary. [10] It was also designed to be an inter-provincial event to fill the gap between sessions of the now defunct Youth Parliament of Canada/Parlement jeunesse du Canada, which at that time was only held bi-annually. While the British Columbia Youth Parliament did not officially endorse its participation in the first WCYP, representatives of all four western Canadian youth parliaments did attend that first session.

The first Western Canada Youth Parliament in which all four western provincial youth parliaments officially participated was held in the Alberta legislature in 1983. [6] [8] [2] [10]

The success of that WCYP encouraged the constituent parliaments to agree to hold the event bi-annually to alternate with the Youth Parliament of Canada/Parlement jeunesse du Canada. [10] The next session was held in Winnipeg in July 1985. The BCYP hosted in 1987, holding the session in the senate chambers of the University of Victoria. [2] The Saskatchewan Youth Parliament took its turn hosting the May 1989 session in the provincial Legislative Building in Regina. The 1987 session hosted an ambassador from the Junior Statesmen of America from Washington State. The 1989 session was notable in that it was the first time an ambassador attended from one of the eastern Canadian youth parliaments, being a member of the Nova Scotia Youth Parliament.

The rotation of Westerns has since cycled bi-annually between the four provinces [5] [6] [2] [11] in its original sequence, except for the seventh session, which came after a two-year hiatus.

Proposed expansion

In 2021, the British Columbia Youth Parliament announced that the WCYP would be expanding, and would become a national organization known as the "Canada Youth Parliament" ("CYP"). [4] According to the announcement, the CYP was to meet in July 2021 online via Zoom. The CYP was to be an English-language only event, [4] not to be confused with the defunct Youth Parliament of Canada.

Locations and personages

Western Canada Youth Parliament (by Session)
SessionYearProvinceCityLieutenant GovernorSpeakerPremier
11983 [8] AB Edmonton  ?David MarriottThomas Marr
21985 MB Winnipeg Lloyd Axworthy  ?Erminia Pallone
31987 BC Victoria Emery Barnes [10] Robert MacDonaldGeoff Glave
41989 SK Regina Arnold Tusa Ken MillardScott Quendack
51991ABEdmonton ? ? ?
61993 [3] MBWinnipeg Edward Schreyer David CantorSherri Pierce
71996BC Burnaby Gordon DowningGeoff GlaveJennifer Jay
81998SKRegina Jack Wiebe Michael ZwaagstraTricia Kaminski
92000ABEdmontonDavid MarriottDale HarrisAli Buckingham
102002MBWinnipegStuart OlmsteadDonna ChanasMichael Feuerstein
112004BC Vancouver Val Anderson Aniz AlaniSwithin D'Souza
122006SKRegina Warren McCall Matt LeisleArielle Zerr
132008ABEdmonton Grant Mitchell Mat JohnsonMaureen Hasinoff
142010 [1] MBWinnipegAllen MillsDana GregoireDarcy Vermeulen
152012BCVancouverJenn JayGavin HoekstraJenelle Yonkman
162014 [11] SKRegina Ralph Goodale Nolan BlackstockJoseph Chiliak
172016ABEdmonton Danielle Larivee Katie KellySeth Burnard
182018 [5] MBWinnipeg Dorothy Dobbie Jennifer PawlukAdrienne Tessier
192020BCVictoria(Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic )

References

  1. 1 2 "Young leaders come together at Western Canada Youth Parliament". CTV News. 22 May 2010. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "The Relic's Corner". The Parliamentarian Magazine. Vancouver, Canada: BC Youth Parliament. Autumn 1995.
  3. 1 2 "Real MLAs Don't Kiss". Winnipeg Free Press. 25 May 1993. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 "1st Canada Youth Parliament". British Columbia Youth Parliament . Retrieved 2021-06-13.
  5. 1 2 3 Driedger, Myrna (18 December 2017). "Great opportunities through YPM". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 "Western Canada Youth Parliament | TUXIS Parliament of Alberta | Canada". TUXIS Parliament. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  7. ↑ "Stang Sings Praises of stint in Youth Parliament". Steinbach Carillon. January 9, 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 "Youth Parliament Sitting". Lethbridge Herald. August 2, 1983. Retrieved 8 Sep 2024.
  9. ↑ "Young leaders come together at Western Canada Youth Parliament". CTV News Winnipeg. 22 May 2010. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "Alumni News". The Speaker Magazine. Vancouver, Canada: Youth Parliament of British Columbia Alumni Society. Spring 1999.
  11. 1 2 "Local youth takes on an interprovincial event through Saskatchewan Youth Parliament". Sask Today (Saskatchewan Media). 17 January 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
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