Program provides memorable experience for local youth
Posted Oct 23, 2009 By Jim Watson
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EMC News Every year dozens of Grade 7 and 8 students from across Ontario arrive on the steps of Queen's Park in Toronto to share a memorable experience: serving the provincial government as pages of the legislative assembly.
Ottawa West-Nepean MPP Jim Watson poses in the provincial legislature with Kingsong Chen, a local resident who participated in the page program at Queen's Park.
This fall, I was proud to learn that one of the pages for this session of Parliament would be from our riding of Ottawa West-Nepean: Kingsong Chen, from Broadview Public School.
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Kingsong for lunch, where we discussed his interests, hobbies, and his time in Toronto as a page.
I was thrilled to hear that Kingsong had thoroughly enjoyed his duties in the legislature. Like many, he found question period the most interesting part of his day.
After several weeks on the job, Kingsong had also clearly learned the tricks of the trade. For instance, when sitting in front of the speaker, Kingsong learned to listen carefully for the rustling of the Speaker's robe when he stood up a page's cue to stand up as well.
Although Kingsong's day in the legislature started at 8 a.m. and went until around 6 p.m., him and his fellow pages still had time to explore all that Toronto has to offer.
On Fridays, when MPPs return to their ridings, they took trips to attractions including the CN Tower and the Royal Ontario Museum.
Kingsong is now back in Ottawa, where he enjoys classes in math, physical education and music and even plays the clarinet.
His experience as a legislative page has certainly complemented his already keen interest in politics, and I was happy to hear that he wants to continue to do volunteer work in politics at home.
Kingsong had actually learnt about the page program by reading about Philip Lee one of our previous pages from Ottawa West-Nepean in this very newspaper.
It is my hope that the page program at Queen's Park will instil in Kingsong, and all the other young men and women who serve as pages, an understanding and respect for those who choose a career of public service, and perhaps even inspire them to pursue such a profession in the future.
If you or someone you know is interested in applying for the Legislative Page Program, please visit www.ontla.on.ca and click on "Legislative Page Program," or call my office at 613-721-8075.
