Prime Minister's Youth Council

Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister
Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

Agency executives

Justin Trudeau, Chair
Marci Ien, Vice-Chair
Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Parent departmentCanadian Heritage
Privy Council OfficeWebsiteOfficial government website

The Prime Minister's Youth Council (French: Conseil jeunesse du premier ministre) is an advisory board created by the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau in 2016. Currently, 10 Canadian youth aged 16 to 24 comprise the non-partisan board. Members advise the prime minister on education, economy, climate change and other issues affecting youth.^[1]

Trudeau announced the formation of the council on Twitter on 19 June 2016, after which he fielded questions online. It was the first time he used social media to make a major announcement as Prime Minister.^[2]

Members of the council meet in-person or online via video or audio conference on a regular basis. Meetings may take place anywhere in Canada and the council held exceptional virtual meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.^[3]

Some have felt that online meetings may be a hindrance to any Inuit youth on the council, as Internet access is not widespread in Nunavut, Nunatsiavut, Nunavik and other Arctic areas of Canada. Trudeau stated that he will work with organisations to ensure all youth are connected during the initiative.^[4]

Members

The first 15 members of the Council were announced in September 2016,^[5]^[6] 11 members from the second cohort were announced in January 2017,^[7] 10 members from the third cohort in June 2018,^[8] and 8 members from the fourth cohort in August 2019.^[9]

Current members

Cohort 6 — July 2021 to June 2023

Sunint Bindra - Calgary, Alberta
Mira Buckle - Newfoundland and Labrador
Noah Campbell - Windsor, Ontario
Lilianna Coyes-Loiselle - Edmonton, Alberta
Santana Dreaver - Kinistin Saulteaux Nation and Mistawasis Nehiyawak, Saskatchewan
Sasha Emery - Whitehorse, Yukon
Maïa Feki - Chelsea, Quebec
Elinam Kamassah - Mississauga, Ontario
Alexander MacLean - Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Malena Mokhovikova - Vancouver, British Columbia
Idmane Moussa Ali - Ottawa, Ontario
Maria Nhema - Ottawa, Ontario
Jordan Anglin-Reimer - Winnipeg, Manitoba
Ganiyat Sadiq - Calgary, Alberta
Yasi Shahidian - Saint Claude, Manitoba
Maverick Simba-Canadien - Dene Nation, Northwest Territories

Cohort 5 — July 2021 to June 2023

Haleema Ahmed - Markham, Ontario
Marianne Arseneau - Fredericton, New Brunswick
Abhinav Dhillon - Edmonton, Alberta
David He - Burnaby, British Columbia
Maël Houck - Montreal, Quebec
Ira Mamis - Whitehorse, Yukon
Sarah Mazhero - Montreal, Quebec
Jenna Robar - Bedford, Nova Scotia
Nalyn Tindall - Camrose, Alberta
Topaza Yu - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Past members

Cohort 1 — September 2016 to March 2018

Sara Abdessamie – Fredericton, New Brunswick
Mustafa Ahmed – Toronto, Ontario
Hani Al Moulia – Regina, Saskatchewan (originally a refugee from Syria)
Alex Bouchard – Haines Junction, Yukon
Joseph Darcel – Winnipeg, Manitoba
Gregory Francis – Kingsclear First Nation, New Brunswick
Sylvia Pascua Matte – Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories
Rachel Smale – Pond Inlet, Nunavut
Donovan Taplin – Wabana, Bell Island, Newfoundland and Labrador
Aaron Taylor – Debert, Nova Scotia
Macgregor 'Mac' Tebbutt – Penticton, British Columbia
Élyse Tremblay-Longchamps – Montreal, Quebec
Nmesomachukwu Umenwofor-Nweze – Iqaluit, Nunavut (originally from Nigeria)
Ashley Whiteman – Edmonton, Alberta
Chris Zhou – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Cohort 2 — January 2017 to January 2019

Rayene Bouzitoun – Montreal, Quebec
Simone Cavanaugh – Montreal, Quebec
Molly French – Sherwood Park, Alberta
Lauren Kennedy – Ancaster, Ontario
Dana Kenny – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Francois-Olivier Picard – Québec, Quebec
Neha Rahman – Toronto, Ontario
Gabe Senecal – Melfort, Saskatchewan
Sara Wheale – Breton, Alberta
Justin Charles Wong – West Vancouver, British Columbia
Riley Yesno – Thunder Bay and Eabametoong First Nation, Ontario

Cohort 3 — June 2018 to September 2020

Zander Affleck - Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Habon Ali - Toronto, Ontario
Jack Campbell - Vancouver, British Columbia
Ashley Cummings - Yukon; Nunavut
Elijah Dietrich - Winnipeg, Manitoba
Tagalik Eccles - Rankin Inlet, Nunavut
Sagar Grewal - Calgary, Alberta
Pier-Maude Lanteigne - New Brunswick
François Lépine-Cossette - Montreal, Quebec
Kathryn McIntosh - Halifax, Nova Scotia

Cohort 4 — June 2019 to December 2021

Jamuna Bothé - Moncton, New Brunswick
Alfred Burgesson - Halifax, Nova Scotia
Sarah Fancy - Nova Scotia
Erin Knight - Manitoba
Conor McIsaac - St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Nancy Mitchell - Toronto, Ontario
Brooks Roche - Montague, Prince Edward Island
Sila Rogan - Winnipeg, Manitoba

References

^ "Trudeau announces Youth Council to give input on national policy". Toronto Star. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
^ "Trudeau announces new youth advisory council". Metro News. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
^ Canadian Heritage (2020-08-18). "Prime Minister's Youth Council — Need more information?". Canada.ca. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
^ "Youth leader wants Inuit on Prime Minister's Youth Council". CBC.ca. 20 July 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
^ Singh, Simran (28 September 2016). "These 15 young Canadians have been chosen to advise Prime Minister Trudeau". Daily Hive. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
^ "New members of the Prime Minister's Youth Council". Prime Minister of Canada. 27 September 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
^ Office, Privy Council. "Biographies of first wave of members - Canada.ca". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
^ "New Members of the Prime Minister's Youth Council". Prime Minister of Canada. 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2019-01-12.
^ "Prime Minister welcomes new members to Youth Council". Prime Minister of Canada. 2019-08-01. Retrieved 2019-08-05.