MINUTES – PUBLIC MEETING – YOUTH COMMISSION – 7th meeting – September 14, 2024 – 1:01 p.m. to 3:38 p.m.

Vision Centre-Ville: The role of youth in the city centre

Last year, the Youth Commission approached Vision Centre-Ville to review the offerings for young people. A context of what Vision Centre-Ville is was presented, and a roundtable discussion was held with the youth to gather their ideas. In summary:

• more financially accessible businesses;
• a show/performance offering aimed at youth;
• jam sessions;
• haunted house, escape room;
• a more colorful city centre and businesses;
• green wall, less industrial;
• represent our identity;
• fast-food restaurants, without the need to sit down, convenience stores, to have access to food while continuing to enjoy the show;
• have a place to dance, with mocktails, so that young people can continue to enjoy their evening after a show;
• have a pedestrian zone in the city centre;
• addition of lighting in certain areas of the city centre;
• create a 'Ma place au centre-ville' (My place in the city centre) initiative.

Members are invited to move forward with the idea of having a mural that would pay tribute to the history of the city centre. The dates of the City's public consultations will be given to the members of the Cj so that they can provide their opinions and suggestions. Vision Centre-Ville is invited to conduct economic studies to identify what is missing in the city centre and to return to present the findings to the Youth Commission. It is also mentioned that the Cj can disseminate targeted information to youth regarding youth offers, job offers, etc., on adogatineau.ca.

Break from 2:16 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Launch of the 2024-2025 call for projects for Youth Strategies in the municipal environment

A call for projects is currently open to submit a financial request for the renewal of the SMAJ (Municipal Youth Action Strategy). The 2025 Youth Summit could also be integrated into the request, for the consultative component, to improve its budget.

Considering that the Youth Commission is a youth committee that has been part of the structure of the Ville de Gatineau for over 20 years; Considering that the Youth Summit and Youth Identity are identified as priorities for the actions of the Youth Commission; Considering that the Youth Summit will serve as a consultative basis that will guide the actions of the next three years regarding youth in Gatineau and the development of the Municipal Strategy:

It is proposed by Phillipe Carlos Giroux Supported by Ash Bailey Toussan CJ-2024-05

• to recommend that the municipal council support the grant application of the Youth Commission for the Stratégies jeunesse en milieu municipal project.

Adopted

Information items

7.1 Launch of the campaign to counter racism and discrimination

The launch of the "Mets-toi à ma place" (Put yourself in my place) campaign took place on Thursday, September 12, 2024. The objective of this campaign is to promote living together in Gatineau's school environments to counter racism and discrimination. For the past year and a half, the Cj has been consulted, as well as various school stakeholders and parents of students. Personal stories of micro-aggressions were filmed to create various capsules that were distributed to all schools in the region for broadcast and use as a pedagogical tool. Each school is free in how it uses these capsules. These will also be broadcast on various social networks. Some capsules were filmed in French and English, but all will still be broadcast at D’Arcy McGee and Philemon Wright.

7.2 Fall projects

The fall projects are as follows:

• Student Council Network
  • Following the 2019 Youth Summit, youth chose to develop a collaboration and training network;
  • Create links between councils of other schools, to be better equipped to act together on youth issues;
  • First meeting during council training next October.
• Green Committee Network
  • Create a space for sharing experiences and knowledge;
  • Cultivate student motivation to get involved and foster collaboration;
  • Provide tools to contribute to their outreach;
  • First session of the green committee network on November 2, 2024;
  • 5 meetings during the school year.
• C’est parti, je vote! (Let's go, I'm voting!)
  • Inform youth about how municipal politics works;
  • Sensitize youth to the multiple ways to take their place and play their role as citizens;
  • Encourage youth to get involved;
  • Aims for a pilot project in the fall.

These 2 projects are part of the Stratégie municipale d’action jeunesse (SMAJ). The C’est parti, je vote! program is part of the Youth Commission's Action Plan.

7.3 Génér’Action climat 2024

Members of the Youth Commission are invited to an environment-focused event that will be held at the Maison du citoyen on November 2nd at 9:30 a.m. This is organized by Enviro Éduc-Action and registration must be done on their Facebook page.