MINUTES – PUBLIC – YOUTH COMMISSION – 7th meeting – September 12, 2026 – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

6. Anti-Prejudice Campaign in Collaboration with the Commission du vivre ensemble – Presentation

Dominic Faucher, Artistic Director of Van life saga, presents the campaign. He notes that last June, he and Laurence facilitated a workshop during the Youth Commission meeting. He will present an update on the awareness campaign regarding prejudice and discrimination.

Dominique explains that his team has worked on an awareness campaign project based on comments previously made by members of the Youth Commission as well as the working committee of the Commission du vivre ensemble. He reminds participants that they play an important role in the orientation and validation of the project.

The presentation reviews the campaign carried out in 2025. This first phase focused on microaggressions and aimed to help recognize discriminatory behaviors often committed without malicious intent. The campaign notably used video clips and testimonials. Unlike the first phase, which mainly targeted youth, the new campaign wishes to reach the entire Gatineau population. The growing diversity of Gatineau requires more exchanges and mutual understanding.

The team explains that it has kept several orientations proposed by youth during previous consultations. According to previous exchanges, awareness campaigns are more effective when they invite citizens to reflect and participate in a discussion rather than when they impose a moralizing message. The main idea is to create public discussion spaces, in the form of a Podcast, where people from varied backgrounds exchange on situations related to prejudice, trivialization, and discrimination. These exchanges would be filmed and then broadcast as clips on different platforms in order to continue the reflection with a wider audience. Participants will be targeted and there will be three-way exchanges.

Different events have been pre-selected for holding the discussion tables. Members note that the targeted events generally seem to be environments that are already sensitized. It is indicated that this concern was part of the reflections and that the choice of locations and partners is still in development. A follow-up will be provided to the Youth Commission regarding the list of events and dates selected.

Proposals for campaign names are presented. Members are invited to indicate their preference. To this end, a survey will be set up on Messenger by Roxanne.

A discussion also focuses on the use of discriminatory phrases in promotional material. Discomfort is expressed regarding the use of certain messages and the graphic aspects presented.

The next steps are described. The recordings will be created in the coming months and deployed in 2027. The Mayor of Laval (Mounir Kaddouri) has been approached to host these exchanges, as well as two comedians, including Coco Belliveau and Mibenson Sylvain.

A question period follows the presentation. Members formulated several ideas:

• Display certain messages inside buses and in bus shelters;
• Use school environments;
• Make the link between the discriminatory phrases used and the campaign's awareness objective more visible;
• Ensure that the City's visual identity and the main message are clear enough to avoid misinterpretations;
• Broadcast on the radio.

Generally, members share the same concern: finding the balance between a message strong enough to spark reflection and a respectful approach that avoids reproducing the prejudices one seeks to combat. A poster validation workshop will be organized. The facilitator also invites members to send him phrases and ideas that could be integrated into the concept.

8. Letter of Support: Active ton trajet Project

A request for support is presented to the Youth Commission as part of a funding process carried out by the organization Mobi-O. The project aims to encourage youth aged 12 to 17 to use active and collective modes of transport more, to get to school, work, and sports or leisure activities, by promoting safer, autonomous, and sustainable travel, notably:

• Walking;
• Cycling;
• Public transit;
• Carpooling

Following the presentation, questions are raised about the youth mobilization strategy, the use of the requested funds, the adaptation of the project to the realities of different high schools, as well as the implementation aspects of the pilot project. Some schools present realities that can complicate the implementation of the project. For example, some host a high number of school buses, while others group students from other schools, from very distant sectors. Members agree that they need more information about the project before they can pronounce themselves on the request for support.