Simon Dubé, a grade 8 student at École secondaire catholique Algonquin, has been selected to serve as a Legislative Page at Queen's Park.
During his term of duty, he will serve as a messenger on the floor of the Legislative Chamber, meet key parliamentary figures and learn about Ontario’s parliamentary system of government.
Dube started his term on September 19 and he is scheduled to finish next week.
Each Legislative Page earned their spot in the program by submitting an application that included an essay outlining their achievements, involvement, and suitability for the program.
Simon has always shown interest in politics and he was elected Prime minister of his school in grade 6. He also wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father who also was a page in his first year of university.
Each Page must study and learn the faces, names, and locations of the 124 MPPs before arriving at Queen’s Park for their first day.
During a typical day in the program, Dube arrives at Queen’s Park at approximately 8 a.m., dresses in his uniform and then prepares the Legislative Chamber for the morning’s debates. As the day progresses, Pages are involved in a number of activities including: delivering messages and water for the MPPs in the Chamber, taking classes in legislative process and mathematics, and meeting with key legislative players such as the party leaders and the Speaker of the House.
The Legislative Page Program is open to students in grades 7 and 8 who have an interest in current affairs, have an academic average of 80% or higher and get along well with their peers and adults. Applications for the Legislative Page Program are accepted for two deadlines each year: November 15 and June 15. Grade 7 students are eligible for both of these deadlines. Grade 8 students may apply for the November 15 deadline only.
For additional information regarding the Legislative Page’s involvement in this program, contact the Legislative Page Program at 416-325-7457 or at [email protected]
