Councillors June Hofland and Ian Findlay have formed Council’s Lead on Children and Youth, a made-in-Guelph role that will see them advocate on behalf of the city’s young people.
Part of their work will involve working towards enhancing a sense of community responsibility for the well-being of children and youth; working towards ensuring municipal departments and agencies fairly incorporate the perspective of children and youth when planning and implementing services that impact them; and representing children and youth by receiving, reviewing and responding to concerns involving municipal services for children and youth.
“That Councillors Hofland and Findlay have elected to take on this role speaks to their commitment to this community,” says Guelph’s mayor, Karen Farbridge. “I commend them for their willingness to expand their participation into new dimensions of community involvement.”
“I see this role as an opportunity to help build awareness of the need to support youth and their involvement in our community,” says Councillor June Hofland.
Councillor Ian Findlay points out, “this initiative will give children and youth in Guelph the avenue to express their concerns directly to City Council – on issues that matter most to them.”
The Councillors will act as a community point of contact on children and youth issues and provide a children and youth perspective in the municipal policy-making process.
For more information about Council’s Lead on Children and Youth, visit www.guelph.ca/youth > council’s lead on children and youth.
Councillor Hoffland and myself would like to thank Janette Loveys Smith, Tara Sprigg and Kate Sullivan for all their assistance in helping us define our roles. Ian