MINUTES – PUBLIC MEETING – YOUTH COMMISSION – 10th meeting – December 14, 2024 – 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

4. Citizen Question Period

4.1 Citizen Questions

Évelyne Carbonneau from Plume Outaouais informs the members that for the next deadline, she would like to write an article on neighborhood life, how to connect, and how to foster a sense of community. When asked what Plume Outaouais is, it is explained as a youth section created by the newspaper Le Droit for youth in the Outaouais region so they can express themselves three (3) times per year; at the end of the year, the texts are collected as a way to celebrate the next generation of journalists.

1. Évelyne Carbonneau asks the following question: What is neighborhood life to you? A discussion begins, and the majority of members agree on:

• Having activities for youth can also be a way to bring families together;
• Having good relationships with neighbors, regardless of age;
• Helping each other as neighbors provides a sense of belonging;
• Social interaction gets us out of the house;
• Welcoming newcomers and helping them discover our neighborhood;
• Installing posters mentioning activities in the neighborhood.

2. Évelyne Carbonneau follows up with another question: Is neighborhood life finished and dead?

• Yes, it is a bit dead;
• Families decide to rent apartments rather than houses; people avoid us because of prejudices;
• Go to community gathering events, say hello to people living in apartments;
• Neighborhood life is dead because people don't know each other, everyone is in their own corner; this situation started since COVID;
• If everyone knows each other, it is important to socialize; knowing your neighborhood means having BBQs or other events; it depends on the neighborhood; everyone was friends before COVID; as we get older, there are fewer young people and many more elderly people;
• Often, interactions do not start from the neighborhood, but rather from actions people take; social comes after;
• It is a case-by-case basis; we feel there are no longer many activities due to the aging population and COVID;
• For some members, there are many activities in their neighborhoods, and neighbors talk to each other.

She thanks the Youth Commission for allowing her to express herself. The Commission thanks her for the initiative and indicates that if she wishes to have other elements, she can write to us.

4.2 Participatory Communication Project – Youth Secretariat – Youth Commission (Dominic Faucher)

Dominic Faucher presents the Participatory Communication Project – Youth Secretariat – Youth Commission. He begins by introducing himself and goes around the table to learn about the new members and their tenure. He informs the members that he has been with the SLSDC for 15 years and acts as an organizer for 2-3 events per year. He is here today to talk about the promotion of the AdoGatineau platform, the youth portal developed in the first phase by Josiane Cossette and Roxanne Portelance, who worked very hard. It is a large platform with a lot of information for youth. The goal of his participation is to find ways to make information accessible to youth in Gatineau; he needs the help of members to develop the program. We need a strategy to implement ideas; we must not censor, because it is for you, the youth. He asks members who have visited the platform recently. Members share with Dominic:

• Looking for ideas to help a sister do volunteer work;
• Others go out of curiosity, to look for a job, bus schedules;
• Wanted to show the girls in my class how it works.

Dominic specifies that we will develop and create content through capsules or advertising videos to help parents know what AdoGatineau is, communication together, everything we can find on our cell phones, and indicates with humor that back in the day, advertising messages were done through communication, now it is done from the web, from digital. We realize that we do not use it enough; what is on AdoGatineau? The objective today is to allow us to help people get to know it.

Malak: Will it become a platform? Will be discussed at the next summit. The platform is not used to its full potential; it takes time to develop a reflex.

Exchange Period

• It is less accessible because youth do not have the means to have LTE internet.
• Those who do not have LTE, how do you do it? By connecting to networks we know, for example: City, school, and social networks;
• Schools change their passwords every year.
• Debate on the new policy of no longer having phones in schools; accessibility is reduced with the new law. They take it away if they see us using it; the Wi-Fi is only for teachers, no network; we work a lot with technology on our iPads; there are a few places in schools where we can use it;
• Teachers can take our cell phones and iPads; no right to phones; sanctions are applied, as much in public schools as in private schools; we were stripped of the possibility of connecting our cell phone;
• At St-Alexandre, we have the right at all times; it is strange that schools block social networks. Some schools allow the use of cell phones if the teacher authorizes it, especially for projects. In other schools, there are surprise tours to control usage.
• Mont Bleu cut the network because students were broadcasting things not related to school. There are too many formalities; the platform is complicated; most schools prohibit phones; it is certain that it will be complicated to promote. As a Youth Commission, the government apparatus could make recommendations on the use of phones in school environments; we must consider the problem. Why are phones taken away? We answer that it is for concentration; we add that we are not the problem, but it is the education system that is rotten; it is a bit like in a car, we drive, we move forward, but the system does not follow. The use made of it is not always useful. Maëlle shares an experience she had; she had to text her mother because she had forgotten her lunch; no internet, she did not get her lunch; friends lent her money. We agree that if it is more than one click, we do not go; it has reached the point where without internet, we cannot go to the site; it is less accessible in Secondary I; will they really go? To whom do we address this problem? Secondary schools, people are a little less interested; it is good to be able to use our cell phones to know what activities there are if your math class is cancelled; we must talk to 6th-grade students so they have the possibility of knowing how to use it before entering secondary school.
• Too many clicks and it is long; we need optimization tracks;
• The site bugs a bit; the search bar is not user-friendly;
• Depending on the schools and networks, there are some where the network is faster than others;
• Phones in schools, before this year, fewer warnings than now.

We ask why parents are considered a stakeholder. We answer that given their involvement in certain cases, they are the ones who pay for the internet or others. We will need collaboration, interschool.

Brainstorm: Exchange period following the presentation

• It depends on the open-mindedness of the older ones (Secondary V) to teach the younger ones in primary school how to use it;
• It would be good to have teenagers come and tell us about their experiences;
• AdoGatineau allows communicating, finding surveys. Often people are more excited at the end of the year. I had the chance to have an older brother; it allowed me to learn things related to secondary school;
• We propose to make presentations in primary and secondary schools; if no internet access, how do we do it? By using iPads, MacBooks provided by schools, otherwise at home by creating a shortcut;
• Make an "Off-line" application;
• The problem with AdoGatineau directory, it is cooler to have a direct link;
• Have a section that summarizes the links, put the information available.
• There are many optimization problems with AdoGatineau.

Josiane Cossette asks the youth, were the pages you could not find on the City's site? It often happens in communication that problems are addressed; he would like to hear from us on what is going well? How could we ensure that people adopt the platform:

• Have an information day to show how it works;
• What concept could we create, for example, if we could make reels, such as "here is how AdoGatineau works."
• By activating content for different sectors, style improvisation, theater, sports activities;
• RSAQs for that, the recreation technicians in schools are aware; unfortunately, it is not about doing a revision.
• By creating Kahoots; we ask how to create a Kahoot? The Kahoot is created using a QR code;
• What can you find on Adogatineau, multiple choice, could be done by theme, good to promote (music list with collaborators), kiosk at school, activities; youth like interaction, give qualification rewards, gratification like giving points when a level is reached, we give a reward;
• Video on how to use it, go to the next thing using the "scroll." If you are on other social networks less interesting, easier to have a video on the site, an AdoGatineau day with Kahoots, socks that students decorate, a dance to get people to know each other better;
• Idea-parents: able to enter a page, have a drop-down menu; it blocks because there is none, systematic teen language;
• Reel on Tik Tok, Instagram, both on the site and in the reel;
• Better to make presentations in schools. Promotion day, send to recreation technicians who send it to the teacher. We have already done it and it worked with a mixed result;
• We believe the site should be cooler; it is a site where you find everything and which is not too serious, more "funky." When something catches attention, it is easier; we must make videos, it works more.
• Entertaining continuity, episodes where people want to know what happens next, so will be followed more. AdoGatineau is more of a presentation page, too much reading to get to what we want.
• Platform as such difficult to use, not as much youth-oriented.
• Communication not a good idea, hammering the fact that we should use it in such and such a way.

Dominic thanks the members for their participation; he will come back to us with potential solutions that will be activated between now and May.

5. Information and Discussion Items

5.1 Presentation of the evaluation process of the Municipal Youth Action Strategy

Annie-Pier Caron-Daviault presents the "evaluation process of the Municipal Youth Action Strategy (SMAJ), Winter 2025." Roxanne specifies that the representation of all secondary schools is grouped at the Youth Commission, which has 29 seats; we count 10 public schools, 3 private schools, 2 English-language schools, all secondary schools. The Action Plan was for 3 years; she is coming to do the evaluation of the action plan after the holidays, January and February; today she presents what will be done:

• Workshop, Youth Commission on January 18, 2025;
• Discussions with partners, school stakeholders, and municipal services from January 20, 2025, to February 7, 2025;
• Workshop, School Boards on February 10, 2025;
• And finally, presentation of results, Youth Commission on February 15, 2025.

There are twenty-four (24) actions in the SMAJ; we will look at them one at a time to know what the objective is. Subsequently, after a consultation with the Youth Commission between January 18 and February 15, we will go see the partners, school stakeholders, and secondary schools to take the pulse. Basically, it is the 1st step, what we have done, to be able to question ourselves on what we will do for the youth summit; we could make a Kahoot for the meeting on January 18, and on February 15, you will be able to explain how you see the summit?

Exchange Period: Do you have ideas for January 15, do you prefer to work on post-it tables walking around or do you prefer MIRO (mix of both)?

• Use a website for a word cloud like slides.

Roxanne adds that on January 18, as part of the morning workshop, the objectives of the SMAJ will be unraveled; your contribution is important, where are we going for the youth future. Roxanne announces as a scoop that the date selected for the Youth Summit is April 25, 2025.

5.2 Adoption of the 2024 report of the Youth Commission

Presentation made by Tiffany-Lee Norris Parent; she presents the slides quickly because they were already discussed; she advises us that the final report will be filed on the City of Gatineau website next week.

5.3 Draft of the 2025 Youth Commission Action Plan

At the last meeting, we were wondering if we wanted to keep the "c'est parti, je vote" program; we will put it in the action plan. The objective today is to present the 2025 work plan. The work plan is detailed as follows:

• 2025 Work Plan
  • 2025 Youth Commission Work Plan
    • Municipal School of Citizen Participation
    • Youth Commission Action Plan
    • Municipal Youth Action Strategy Action Plan

We make a parenthesis on the fact that in 2025, the Youth Commission will experience its 25th anniversary; it would be interesting to include it in the Youth Commission's action plan.

Recommendation CJ-2024-08 The members of the Youth Commission adopt the report and the 2025 work plan. It is proposed by: Bryana Eddo. Seconded by: Ismail Moulessehoul.

7. Floor for Secondary School Representatives

7.1 Follow-up on youth issues

Bryana: Last week, congratulates the Secondary V students, dance party, food, music, dressing chic; yesterday, pajama day, breakfast, sharing, hung on the graduates' tree; Malak: Sanitary products in girls' bathrooms, municipal level subsidy, planning movie night for the 1st cycle, financing for graduates. First-cycle students feel they have activities; Eli: November 27, Day 0, a day you spend at home or you can come to school; it is a professional development day, work to be done in a given time from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; it is a trial, it is the first time; also, as every year, the guignolée was done, fewer donations, so extended until Wednesday this week; Louis: Noël féerique, at Nouvelle Frontières school, campaign for the foundation, $55,000 was raised and went to the National Pediatric Center, the best group; it is the campaign where everyone is active. Skating evening, beautiful campaign, it worked well; Félix: Month of December, organize one activity per day, otherwise decided that every time the elf is found, a surprise; it is an elf hunt; Constance: Next Tuesday, encourage a non-perishable collection; we are authorized not to wear the dress code if we bring food. The dep of Secondary 5 did a tour to facilitate help with career choice; Adelia: Christmas baskets in collaboration with Metro, November kiosk at school to get tested for ITSS, we had a visit from the dep, it was fun; Malak: We discovered that French is in decline and risks disappearing completely; teachers and some Secondary 5 students will start a committee to promote the use of the French language; plan for printing on a shirt that can be bought; is it a problem that is everywhere in schools? We answer yes, it is the same problem in several schools; most youth use English instead of French; we had 2 days of music in French, surprised for those who speak in French; teachers can give detention if we speak English too often; Clémence: We received new AdoGatineau socks; apparently they would be the last socks; we answer yes, they are the last SMAJ socks. Did you have easier activities to pass out socks? This presentation had been made; do you have ideas? Class activities, like Kahoot, like a wheel. Advertising started doing tours; are there small videos we could give to teachers? Yes, there are; we will have to look. Bryanna: We did not receive socks at our school; we do not understand; the socks were sent and they should be distributed this week. Roxanne will follow up; Louis mentions that there was never a distribution of socks at his school. Student council and engagement club, Lab 22, it is an organization on the environment, helps us to have good consciences in our actions, buying material and throwing it away afterwards, it makes a lot of waste; we were sensitized. Darlande: Makes a small parenthesis regarding the French language; we are in Quebec; saying that the majority uses English, yes it is important, but we must appreciate what we have.

8. Floor for Elected Officials

8.1 Follow-up on the work of committees and commissions

Alicia: The members of the Recreation, Sports and Community Development Commission are wondering about the future of skating rinks; what are we doing with that? Is it really interesting? At the next Youth Commission, members will be consulted. At the last commission, presentation on ethics, safety, integrity, sports that do business with the city; it is a somewhat difficult thing for athletes; what are the levers that the city has to make them do their sport in complete safety? For the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), there is the Observatoire du développement de l’Outaouais (ODO) for access to information requests; talks about the portrait of our community, at the language level, interesting partnership; do you want to be the voice of the youth?