Last winter, the Blainville youth commission conducted a broad consultation with citizens aged 16 to 35 to find out their opinions and needs on various topics. The result of this initiative, the 2021-2022 action plan sets specific objectives according to themes such as diversity and inclusion, transport and mobility, citizen and democratic participation, culture and leisure as well as health and security.
“This action plan is bold, because we aspire to overcome the challenges of today and tomorrow, including climate change, discrimination and the rise of individualism to the detriment of community life. Since the beginnings of the commission, ecology, cooperation, justice, authenticity and active altruism have been the values that guide us,” explained the three current young members of the commission, namely Sarah Vinet-Quesnel, Gabriela Turmel and Emmanuel Cormier.
Take a look at the
featured Local Savings
at the bottom of this page!
Acting for the environment
The young members of the commission are fully aware of the effects and consequences of climate change and believe that there are means to further reduce Blainville’s ecological footprint. To achieve this, the action plan recommends that the City moves towards being a green city by adding trees, shrubs and fruit plants to all municipal green spaces and create incentives for citizens to add these plants to their land. The action plan also aims to recommend expanding the collection of organic materials to condo buildings, establishments and businesses. The committee also wishes to conduct an awareness campaign on the importance of optimal management of organic waste. At the same time, the committee intends to promote active transportation. Right now, a challenge is underway with participation prizes. Starting next spring, the committee plans to hold workshops on bicycle maintenance and safety.
Promoting diversity and inclusion
Among the values dear to the young people of the commission, one can find diversity and inclusion. In recent years, the demography of Blainville has changed and its population is becoming more and more diverse. The commission, anxious to ensure the representativeness of this diversity within municipal authorities, will submit recommendations to the City to this effect. The young people also plan to inform the Blainville residents of this reality using capsules disseminated in the media.
Fostering positive mental health among young people
The issue of mental health, particularly among young people, is a worrying subject, especially in this pandemic period. To promote healthy mental health and combat the taboos surrounding this issue, the youth commission wishes to develop informational content on this issue, publish strategies and talk about existing resources in order to help young people struggling with problems. “We are active members of the Youth Commission and we are between 18 and 35 years old, but we want to collaborate with all those who feel concerned by our projects. We invite you to write to us through the website or on our Facebook group Young Mobilized Adults of Blainville,” concluded Sarah Vinet-Quesnel, Gabriela Turmel and Emmanuel Cormier.
