February 27, 2013

Turning a Page at the Ontario Legislature  

 When the Ontario Legislature resumed in February, DSBN student Lauren George had one of the best seats in the house. The Grade 8 student at Prince Philip Public School is serving a three week term as a legislative page at the provincial parliament.

During their time at the legislature, pages learn how government works and also support members by delivering documents and messages to MPPs. Students selected to be part of the program are in Grade 7 or 8, demonstrate strong academic performance and are involved in various extracurricular activities.

Lauren sits on student council at Prince Philip, she is bilingual and also plays piano and sings in the school choir.

Originally, the plan was to have Lauren serve her term at the legislature in the fall; however, the plan had to be changed when Premier Dalton McGuinty announced his resignation and prorogued parliament. With the election of a new Premier and a new session of the legislature, Lauren was on hand to witness the throne speech read by Lieutenant Governor David Onley.

 Lauren said being a page has been a really rewarding experience for her. “I’ve really enjoyed experiencing the atmosphere and seeing how our democratic system works up close.”