YOUTH COMMISSION – 2nd meeting – February 14, 2026 – 1 p.m. to 4:05 p.m. – Committee Room, 2nd floor, Maison du Citoyen

5. Presentation – Active transportation strategy for 12-17 year olds by Mobi-O

A presentation by Arielle Minoungou, Strategic Mobilization Manager, Training Component at Mobi-O, is given. She presents the active and public transportation strategy intended for youth aged 12 to 17.

The objectives of this presentation are to:

• Present the recommended activities to implement an active and public transportation campaign for youth aged 12 to 17.
• Allow members to prioritize the activities deemed most relevant to begin the campaign.
• Identify the high schools where it would be appropriate to begin the deployment of these activities.

A decrease in the use of active and public transportation among students is noted, which leads to issues of safety, pollution, and health. A campaign targeting this clientele is in development.

A period of questions and comments follows the presentation: Participants insisted on the fact that the reality varies greatly depending on the sectors and schools (distance, service, infrastructure, sense of security). The interventions made it possible to identify several obstacles to active and public transportation: • Safety: intimidation on public transit, feeling of insecurity while walking or cycling, especially for some young girls; • Inadequate infrastructure, particularly in winter: snow removal, facilities around schools; • Home-to-school distance and excessive travel time; • Constraints related to public transit: schedules, accessibility, transit cards.

They formulated several suggestions: • Favor simple and visual awareness tools: shorter fact sheets, keywords, clear graphics; • Combine awareness with mobilizing challenges, as is already done in elementary school, while adapting them to the reality of adolescents; • Highlight the interest in practical workshops, for example in bicycle mechanics or bicycle safety.

An important point of the exchanges focused on road safety around high schools: • Suggestion for continuous awareness campaigns, and not only at the beginning of the school year; • Interest in visual tools like radar speed signs and collaboration with the police service; • Explanations by Mobi-O of the concept of an exploratory walk, allowing for the identification of issues on the ground and the formulation of recommendations to the City and partners.

During the work in sub-groups, several priorities emerged: • Mentorship program, where older students accompany younger ones in the use of public transit; • Supervision and support for school committees (green committees, student councils) to help them implement concrete projects; • Mobilizing challenges with a playful and competitive dimension (GHG reduction calculation, modal shift tracking); • Training adapted by grade level, particularly to plan trips and understand municipal transportation policies.

A break is taken at 2:30 p.m. and Félix Roy leaves the meeting at 2:30 p.m. The meeting resumes at 2:48 p.m.

7. Presentation – 2026 Work Plan of the Youth Commission

The files included in the work plan of the Youth Commission are presented. It retains the same general orientations as in previous years. However, it will be aligned with the files of the other commissions of the Ville de Gatineau.

Members formulate complementary reflections, particularly in relation to: • The increased need for free and accessible spaces outside the school environment, allowing young people to gather, socialize, and participate in activities without financial constraints; • The interest in developing more intergenerational projects, fostering ties between young people and seniors. Some past initiatives (e.g., collaborative projects with the Seniors' Commission) constitute solid foundations to continue or expand.

CJ-2026-02 The Youth Commission recommends to the municipal council:

• To adopt the 2026 work plan of the Youth Commission as presented

Proposed by Soulaymane Tazi Supported by Constance Nolet Adopted

9. Educational block – Debate: For or against the right to vote at 16

Members are divided into teams and present arguments regarding this question.

• Arguments against the right to vote at 16:

• At 16, young people are still in high school, influenced by their entourage, and do not yet have a diploma. They lack the maturity and experience to form an independent opinion.
• The majority of young people do not really retain the political concepts learned at school, so their participation would not always be informed.

• Arguments in favor of the right to vote at 16:

• According to the Charte des droits et libertés (Charter of Rights and Freedoms), at 16, young people can drive, consent to medical care, and be held legally responsible. They are consequently mature enough to vote.
• The right to vote would complete the democratic learning process, because young people learn history and politics at school and could apply this knowledge immediately.
• Young people are exposed to political information in real-time at school, which could make their vote more relevant than that of adults motivated by issues like the price of gas.

Following the exchanges, the group in favor of the right to vote at 16 is declared the winner of the debate.