FOOD FIGHT LOCAL CHEFS ARE BOILING MAD ABOUT MENU PROPOSAL {page 4}
KITSCH IN SYNC BLOCKBUSTER ACTOR TAYLOR KITSCH TAKES FAME AS IT COMES {page 12}
LONDON
Weekend, March 2-4, 2012 www.metronews.ca News worth sharing.
Future council?
Slam. Dunk
New youth council aims to have a role in city politics Western grad prime mover behind ‘experiment’ in making a difference ANGELA MULLINS
Get involved
@METRONEWS.CA
Gabe Freeman of the London Lightning goes up for a dunk against Aaron Spears of the Quebec Kebs during a regular-season game on Thursday. London won the game 124 to 107 in front of 3,733 fans. The final game of the Lightning’s regular season — against the Summerside Storm — will be played on Sunday at the John Labatt Centre. Tipoff is at 2 p.m. In their first season, the Lightning have locked up first place and will start the playoffs against a team to be determined on March 9. MARK SPOWART/FOR METRO
Lightning are bolting to the playoffs
Imagine: Teens and young adults playing an active role in what happens at city hall. It’s an idea so simple that its brainchild is amazed no one’s taken it on. “Honestly, I’m just so stoked to see what they can do,” Matt Ross said about the new London Youth Advisory Council. “A ton of people care.” Ross, 23, stumbled on the idea about eight months ago during a conversation with Mayor Joe Fontana. A lifelong Londoner and a recent Western University grad, Ross was seeking corporate sponsorship for a trip when he tapped into the mayor’s network. During the meeting, Ross mentioned “youth engagement” and, from that, the council’s roots started taking shape. Expected to be up and running by mid-March, it will have no ties to city government. The main goal is to further the youth agenda among municipal leaders, Ross said. “They’re going to be weighing in on contentious issues that city council is dealing with already, and they also will be bringing forward their own platform,” he said.
Voting for the London Youth Advisory Council opens at lyac.ca after candidates make speeches during City Symposium at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Wolf Performance Hall. Candidates’ platforms and a message from Mayor Joe Fontana are already on the website.
“A youth voice has to be heard because, in the end, they are … the future leaders of London.” Ross has recruited 21 people between the ages of 16 and 23 as council candidates. Each will make a presentation during Tuesday’s City Symposium, and online voting will start that night. Along with the top 13 vote-getters, four young people — one representative each from Fanshawe College, Western, the Catholic School Board and the Thames Valley District School Board — will be appointed. Anyone of any age is invited to cast an online ballot. “I feel there’s a way to integrate the two,” Ross said about youth and older Londoners. “One of my passions is, ‘How do you stop all these students from moving?’ “I just love seeing London grow. It has this awesome potential.”