Over the past four weeks, we have been humbled by the responses we’ve received from Hear Us Out: An Ontario Youth Challenge. So much so, that we wanted to share some of them with you.
In Week 2 of the initiative, we challenged young Ontarians to send us pictures of something in their lives that they would want politicians to focus on. The above photos are a selection of the submissions we received, and their captions (Detailed below) reveal the issues that hit closest to home.
Something I’d like politicians to focus on is expanding pharma coverage. OHIP+ has been a great start, however many young people over the age of 25 are no longer in school, aren’t covered by their parents’ insurance, and work jobs that without health benefits. These groups are particularly vulnerable, so I’d like to see steps taken to ensuring they have access to medication they need.
–Sylvia, 21
Education. It helps us build opinions and have points of view on different things in life. Without a proper education you won’t be able to find a good, supporting job. Without a good job it’s harder for most to support their families. If you want to live a happy life and enjoy life you need to be educated. If we want to see the world as a reliable and trustworthy place where everyone is given fair opportunities, education is what we need. Education is very important if you want to be a self reliant person. it turns your dreams into a reality. Living in a society, one should have knowledge of their rights, laws and regulations. This knowledge will help to build boundaries around us to follow the rules so that we have a peaceful life. Education will help to interact with different kinds of persons and exchange knowledge and ideas and live in harmony. To be a active participant in society and to gain respect from the world one should always learn new things.
–Fawzia, 14
Urgent Convergence – Juxtaposition of Nature and Innovation in a Changing Climate: An issue politicians ought to focus on is the future of Ontario’s Greenbelt, ecological conservation, and other measures which ensure the health of our environment for future generations. This comes in the wake of Ford’s flip-flopping, as well as the ever-increasing threats associated with urban sprawl, suburbanization, and the privileging of economic growth over sustainable development.
-Alice, 17
I think that politicians should think of funding recreational activities so they are of lower price and more parents can send their children to have fun doing some sort of activity which develops one’s skills and talents. Rather than staying indoors all day long, this would encourage children to be active and live a healthier lifestyle.
-Nitya, 16
I want politicians to focus on infrastructure.
–Abdulrehman, 24
Electricity rates have always been a concern in Ontario, specifically about high usage times and ranging costs. I would like to see the politicians draw focus onto greener power options and lower rates.
–Jessica, 20
I took a picture of the library because it is where I work on schoolwork. Something in my life that I’d like the future provincial government to address is modifying the current school curriculum and structure to allow more personalized education that can remain up-to-date with the rapidly advancing technology in the world. There also needs to be more technology-related courses and content weaved into the curriculum.
-Gabby, 16
I would like politicians to focus on out-of-school extracurricular activities (e.g. youth orchestra) that are more affordable and available for everyone in various situations.
-Yusha, 14
