A young man from the North Shore has got the attention of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – and not just because they both share the same first name.
Fourth-year UBC computer engineering student and West Vancouver resident Justin Wong is among the newly minted members to join the Prime Minister’s Youth Council, a select group of diverse individuals from across the country that will advise the prime minister on issues that are important to young Canadians.
Wong, who is 21 years old and a graduate of Sentinel secondary, recently returned from a January youth council meeting in Calgary where the 26-member council got to know each other, discussed and debated issues and, of course, met Prime Minister Trudeau and a number of cabinet ministers.
“It was a very good experience just to have access to ministers as well as the prime minister to discuss issues that we are concerned about,” Wong said. “That kind of accessibility is pretty unique.”
The current cohort of youth council members is a varied group of people from all parts the country and range in age from 16 to 24 years old. Wong said the council is scheduled to hold three or four in-person meetings with the prime minister each year.
When meeting with the prime minister and senior members of the government, Wong said the youth council is not afraid to bring up questions and hard-hitting issues that affect Canadians and young people alike.
“A lot of people did hit the prime minister and the ministers with some pretty tough questions regarding the oil sands or the pipelines or the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership). Or even electoral reform,” Wong said.
But a large part of the position compels youth council members to use their newfound leadership positions to serve their own communities back home, bringing local concerns and ideas forward to the federal level.
For Wong, who is passionate about youth mental health issues, this means wanting to hear from schools, students and concerned individuals from Vancouver and the North Shore.
“I really want to see more improvement in even elementary school or high school – safe spaces to kind of discuss any situation that you’re having trouble with,” Wong said.
While North and West Vancouver, like many municipalities in the Lower Mainland, have been making concerted efforts in recent years to prioritize youth mental health awareness, Wong wants to ensure that the prime minister and federal government is aware of its importance.
“Even to be from a fairly affluent city in West Vancouver, I know that there are definitely struggles in every society,” he said.
Wong faced bullying as a child and these terrible experiences have informed his passion for bullying prevention and youth mental health. He said bullying affected his confidence and self-worth, and made him extremely shy and quiet for many years.
But now that Wong has been selected from more than 16,000 applicants to join the Prime Minister’s Youth Council due to his civic engagement and passion for community, he’s not letting shyness get in the way of anything.
“I think I’m just a fairly normal person, but I think everybody on the council is very passionate and very well-rounded and engaged with their community,” Wong said.
When Wong recounted first meeting Prime Minister Trudeau last month at a youth council event, he said it was intimidating but also humbling and rewarding.
“He actually knew my name,” Wong said. “The first time I met him he was like ‘Hey, Justin.’ I was like, oh – that’s super cool.”
North Shore residents, specifically other youth, who are looking to connect with Justin Wong can message him on Twitter at @JustinPMYC.
