MINUTES – PUBLIC MEETING – YOUTH COMMISSION – 2nd session – February 10, 2024 – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

4. Consultation by the Police Service: Diversity Plan and upcoming youth events

The presentation is made by Michaël Côté and Mathieu Tremblay, inspectors at the Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau (SPVG). They inform members that the diversity plan implemented last year included cultural, sexual, ethnic, and religious diversity. The following topics are addressed:

• Contextualization – why we are here;
• Current situation;
• Project management stage;
• Desired situation.

The objective of this presentation is to inform the Youth Commission members about the youth summit and to ask for their advice on how to reach out to youth and create enthusiasm among diverse youth from 5th grade to Secondary III for the policing profession. The objectives are broken down into the following sub-themes:

• Demystifying the policing profession;
• Organizing outreach and dialogue activities with the SPVG;
• Understanding the generational appeal of the job market for diverse youth;
• Updating our recruitment practices for diverse youth.

A scoop is announced regarding the spokesperson for this activity: comedian Richardson Zéphir, whom we see on the television show LOL. There are 150 spots available for the event. The project is funded by a grant from the ministère de la Sécurité publique (MSP). We want to find people who want to participate; we need your ideas: how to approach the youth, where to go to invite them, and who the youth to invite are.

Members agree that for secondary school:

• We must go through the school, talk to the recreation technicians, as they oversee the diversity committees;
• The AVSEC (School Life and Community Service) can also help to reach more people;
• We must offer a small gift at the kiosks, posters, keychains;
• One of the best ways for registration is an easy link via cell phone, not too many questions;
• Could also be done via other channels of the sexual and cultural community, churches, mosques, celebrants, etc.;
• School secretaries know the youth and specialized people; go to the reception classes;
• An animation day is to be preferred.

Inspectors are informed that there will be a tour of secondary schools with the Youth Commission from February 15 to March 14; we could integrate the SPVG into the promotion of their event.

For primary school students, it is suggested:

• The daycare manager, the classroom teacher, the secretary, or the principal could send a general message to parents;
• There could also be presentations by police officers in gyms or classrooms;
• Organizations are good links, such as Jeunesse Idem for sexual diversity;
• Make a link with the community profile to more easily target sectors to prioritize for diversity;
• Primary schools are always interested in having activities during recess;
• The school bus would be the best means for primary school youth. Furthermore, parents are not always available;
• Favor a schedule from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

It is also suggested to involve municipal councillors, advertise in youth centers to attract even more primary school youth, and have a quiz inside the police car.

ACTIVITIES: allow youth to sit in the vehicles, demonstrate how the radio works, mini-tournaments, energize, including girls and boys, simulate the physical tests at the École nationale de police. Do activities where it is possible to move while consulting the youth. Lunch tables with discussion on various topics related to the event. The ultimate goal is to collect information so that we can make our action plan.

Members suggest:

• Describe to schools;
• Send posters to schools and for school screens;
• Start advertising quickly to make the event known, that STO transport is free with registration;
• Integrate the ticket, free bus access, and parental authorization on the same badge;
• Shuttle between the Rapibus and the Centre Branchaud-Brière every 15 minutes;
• Organize a draw for youth participation.

It is asked if there is a possibility of pairing with the programme parapluie which falls into the same age bracket. Arthur brings up an important point to fill the 150 spots? The number of diverse youth vs. 150 spots, how will it all be managed? The SPVG wishes to represent diversity, so the city sector will not matter. Patrick Campeau proposes conducting a survey in addition to the summit to reach as many diverse youth as possible.

Members are asked for name suggestions for this project:

• "Viens chiller avec les policiers" (Come chill with the police);
• Easier puns;
• Arnaud suggests using a word that could be declined like "Touski";
• "Crée l’uniforme qui te ressemble" (Create the uniform that looks like you).

Inspectors advise that if there are other suggestions, address them to Roxanne. Do you have ideas for the image we can put on the back? Members agree that different youth with different uniforms allowing them to be identified speaks a lot to people who are part of diversity. The inspectors congratulate the Youth Commission members for their welcome and participation and share another scoop: for Secondary 2, 3, and 4, the Police Academy will be held on June 25; follow us on social media.

5. Enviro Educ-Action: Youth delegation to the Evo Summit

Presentation made by Katia Girouard, following up on the CREDDO EVO Summit. Presentation of the youth delegation who are present to close the project that was presented in October.

The EVO Summit took place on November 17; business community leaders and elected officials were invited to talk about energy transition, ecological transition, and the environment. Climate change is not a unique challenge that only addresses cities and communities, but it is collective. Mr. Bureau shared various anecdotes, how the environment is managed in different companies. Some solutions that marked the delegation such as:

• Transforming our parking spaces;
• More buses, wider sidewalks, and secure bike racks;
• Funding from the Fonds Climats du Grand Montréal.

The new generation is different from previous ones. The Youth Commission allows for being heard. We must all come together to allow us to ensure political succession at both the provincial and federal levels. The Summit was significant for some youth who participated; it gave them confidence for the future, good ideas for the preservation of the environment, and supported their plan to help the earth and humans. Video presentation, brings their share to a collective participation, give solutions so that they can act, contribute, and get together, it is an extraordinary lever, in solidarity with future generations, that is sustainable development, being aware that it is not the planet that is threatened, but the survival of humans, it is urgent to act.

There will be more participation from secondary schools for the next summits. When will there be other major youth delegations in the region? The answer is that the Youth Commission is networking with green committees in each school, that there are discussions to know what place the environment has, this networking will become stronger and stronger. Katia wears the hat for the green committee network, it is a great group to solicit when there are events of this kind, this thought always works with Enviro Educ-action and all the city's events, the objectives of the SMAJ. The Youth Commission has the chance to be seen and known.

6. Information and discussion items

6.1 Ma place (continuation of the Wow project)

Presentation made by Arnaud Forget. The Ma place project at parc Central will be back this year in collaboration with sector partners as well as the library for the use of its room. An outdoor space will also be created with the hiring of an animator. Youth will be consulted on the youth offer and a collaboration will take place with the Profites de l’été campaign. An alignment will also be made for the construction of the Préo which was recommended last October. The Préo recommendation will be integrated into the Plan directeur d’aménagement du parc Central.

A second Ma place site will be developed in the Gatineau sector. The container will be installed in a park that remains to be targeted. In collaboration with the Fonds pour bâtir des communautés which aims to prevent violence among youth (FBCS). The objective is to see which park is most frequented by teens, move the container to a targeted park to offer the experience to other teens. Summer project is to allow developing a 2nd place, subsequently offer services in several sectors where youth needs will have been surveyed.

Where are we at? The container outreach, for now, is done through the FBCC, partners have been consulted, parc Central has the same actors as last year, already in collaboration to develop, hire the team, promotions. Revitalisation urbaine intégrée (RUI) will have a meeting on the 19th, Alicia will be present, she invites members to go there if they are interested, major work has been done in this sector, the public market, propulsion scène, we are trying to redo the old heart of the village. We want to keep the current function while integrating the development of their surrounding arteries.

6.2 School Perseverance Week

Addition of a banner on the website, distribution of socks, flag raising, communications committee will do social media.

6.3 2024 Recruitment Strategy

Our next recruitment campaign, which will take place from April 1 to 22, 2024, will have the theme "Toi, fais une différence avec NOUS!" (You, make a difference with US!). It will be done with the tour in schools, signage, recreation newsletter, Adogatineau website, and social media, in order to reach as many youth as possible to fill the 15 positions available in 9 Gatineau schools. Candidates will have the chance to do a practice on May 11, 2024, the whole thing will be adopted in June 2024.

6.4 Tour of secondary schools

Can we disclose the information that we are recruiting? Yes, it can be mentioned, it is the time to tell the youth, a QR code has been created. From the week they will receive the invitation to come see us at our kiosks, to make known what the Youth Commission is, we must stay on the lookout for dates, Messenger group created, to make a logistics meeting the AVSEC already has the information.

6.5 Youth speaker project

Former members will do a tour of 6th-grade classes, if there are free seats in your school, submit your application, a report will be completed at the end of this and a final report will be made.

Break 2:50 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.