Orientation - the big day!

Today was AMAZING!

I walked with my parents to Queen’s Park from where I’ll be staying during my term of duty. It took about 15 minutes to get there and the walk was actually really nice. I got to see some of the Toronto neighbourhoods and some of the University of Toronto buildings.

We arrived at about 7:45 in the morning and had to wait for the doors to open at 8:00. The building is very big and has many different entrances. We walked around to the side of the building and waited by the Southwest entrance.

Outside the big door of the main building at Queen's Park

As we waited, some of the other pages were arriving. I was kind of relieved to see that they really were all kids just like me.

At 8:00 a security guard opened the doors and let us in to the main lobby.  I was amazed by how big the building actually is. It has very tall ceilings and the main lobby has a great staircase that is made of wood and cast iron. It’s like walking into a palace! There are big chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and paintings and statues along the walls.  Everything in the main building is very big… the windows, the ceilings, and even the doors to different rooms!

The main staircase is beautiful!

We gathered as a group and were given our little visitor’s badges with our names on them. We waited for the rest of the new pages to arrive. During that time, our Page teacher came to meet us. She introduced herself as Mrs. Tedford and right away I knew that I would really like her! She was dressed very professionally, she is tall and has long, blond hair and a really nice smile.

Once we all had our badges, she escorted us to a room on the second floor of the building. We sat in rows with our parents, had some juice and waited for the presentation to start.

Waiting for the slideshow

Ms. Roula Dimakarakos began the presentation by congratulating us on being accepted to the program. She showed us some slides about the program and focused on the importance of being non-partisan when you’re a page.

Quick tip: being non-partisan means not favouring one party over another or treating members of a party better than other members. When you are working at Queen’s Park, or being a Page, you are required to be non-partisan and you can’t even vote!

Ms. Dimakarakos also showed us a mannequin dressed in the full Page uniform. She told us about the strict dress policy (how we can’t colour our hair or paint our nails or wear jewelery while we are pages). During her slideshow, she popped up pictures of some of the faces of the MPPs and asked us to name them and tell what riding they were from. I raised my hand and answered a couple of times.

When she was done her presentation she asked all of the pages to stand up. She told us that she’d like to know a little about each of us and asked us to say our name, what riding we are from and to share what our favourite extra curricular activity and favourite foods are. Of course I announced that I love lasagna and dance! I was actually surprised by the different interests of each of the pages. Even though we share some similarities, we are all unique too!

Next, the pages were asked to go with Mrs. Tedford to the Page Quarters for a tour and to do some learning activities. The Page Quarters are in the lower level of the building and has restricted access. This means only Pages, Mrs. Tedford and Paula (the administrative assistant) can get in using special passes.

The Page Quarters are really neat! When you first enter through the locked door, there are a couple of couches, colourful bulletin boards and a piano! There are locker rooms for the girls and the boys where we will change into our uniforms each day. On the right side of the hall is the Ping Pong room! In case that’s not self-explanatory enough, the Ping Pong room has a ping pong table in it! This is where we can relax during our short breaks. In the Ping Pong room is also a little kitchen where we will make our snacks and lunches. It’s a long day at Queen’s Park so we’ll need to use this room a lot I think!

The Ping Pong room and our kitchen!

We all went into the classroom together and sat at the desks. We were given our Orientation Binders which have a lot of information that we will need to prepare for our first day. We received a training booklet that we had to fill out as we moved through the day.

Our class and some of the visiting parents

Mrs. Tedford asked us to look around the class and tell her why we thought there were so many stuffed frogs everywhere. We all thought it might be because frogs are her favourite animal but no………

She told us that the word for when you walk between the Speaker and the Mace (a big NO-NO! NEVER, EVER come between the Speaker and the Mace!!!!!) is called ….

FROGGING!

Quick Tip: The Mace is a long stick with a crown on the end that is very symbolic of power and order. The Sargeant-At-Arms carries the mace and places it carefully on a pillow in the Chamber.

Bonus Quick Tip: The mace is really pretty and sparkly and it has 2 diamonds on the top of it that were given to the Legislative Assembly by a diamond mine. 

 

The Mace is on display right now because Parliament isn't in session. Once they start up again on September 9th, the Mace will be carried into the Chamber by the Sargeant-At-Arms every day.

We are never, ever, ever supposed to FROG in the Chamber. That’s just one of the many rules we have to remember while we are doing our work.

Next, Mrs. Tedford brought us into the Chamber to do some training. 

The main doors to the Chamber. So pretty!

We learned all about the different areas of the Chamber. In this picture, you can see the Speaker's Dais (it's like the throne on the stage at the right hand side of the picture). This is where the Speaker sits and 8 Pages will sit on the step by his feet. You can also see the MPP desks. The ones at the top of the picture (where the man in the white shirt is sitting) is where the government (Liberal party) sits. The ones on the bottom part of the picture belong to the (opposition) PC party. You can't see the NDP seats in this picture, but they are to the left of the PC seats. 

In this picture, we are sitting and practicing on the Dais. As Pages when we are positioned on the Dais, we will have to stand when the Speaker stands and sit when he sits. 

I'm sitting in the second place on this side of the Dais. Just wait until we are all wearing our uniforms, we are going to look SO GREAT! 

In this picture (above) you can see the Press Gallery (those are the seats right above the Speaker's Dais and under the three colourful flags). Members of different newspapers come and sit there so they can watch the proceedings and report about it. One of our jobs is to deliver messages to members of the press but we CANNOT talk to the press or be interviewed by them. In the picture you can also see the Public Gallery (see all of the people sitting up in the rows of benches above the MPP desks). This is where regular members of the public can come and sit and watch. 

This picture (above) is of the Clerks table. At this table sits Deborah Deller (in the fancy, big chair at the right end of the table) who is the Clerk. She advises the Speaker about proceedings in the Chamber. In the other 4 chairs sit Todd Decker (Deputy Clerk) Ann Stokes (Senior Clerk - House Documents) Tonia Grannum (Clerk of Procedural Services) and Trevor Day (Senior Clerk - Committees). 

This desk that's close up in the picture above is the Hansard desk. Every single word that is spoken in the Chamber is recorded verbatim by Hansard (that means, exactly as it is said). These words are all kept in the Hansard offices in books for ever and ever and ever. 

In this picture above, it shows the Speaker's Gallery. It's where important guests of the Speaker come to sit and watch the proceedings. Under the Speaker's Gallery is the Member's Gallery. This is where special guests of the MPPs can be invited to sit to watch the proceedings. See the big chandeliers? So pretty! Also, did you know that the official colours of Ontario are GREEN and GOLD? So a lot of the decorations and colours in the Legislature are green and gold. 

The Chamber is also full of amazing carvings. I thought these guys who are carved into a wooden pillar are very cute! 

Gremlins in the House? 

I also liked that there were meanings behind some of the carvings like this one of the Owl for instance. It is placed right over the Opposition side, facing the Government side. It is there to remind the Government in power to be WISE!

Who's wise? Who? Who?

Once we looked around the Chamber and learned about the different places We had to learn how to move in the Chamber. No FROGGING, move swiftly and professionally, stand up straight, never stop and turn around always walk in one fluid direction, don't come between an MPP who is presenting in the front row and the Speaker. There were SO many rules! A big part of why we have to be so professional and careful about where we walk and stand is because parts of the day are televised. You can see the cameras that are hidden in the walls ... 

 You're on candid camera!

This is the media room where they record everything and play it to watch on the Legislative Assembly Channel on TV!

We also had to learn how to pick up and deliver the four key documents in the House. 

The four key documents are: 

1. Reports by Committees

2. Bills

3. Motions

4. Petitions

There are different ways to pick up and deliver each of these. Some have to go to the Speaker to be read before they are delivered to the Clerks. Some have to go to certain clerks. It's a lot to learn, but the practice really helped! 

I practice picking up a Petition from Mrs. Tedford

After our practice, we went back to the Page Quarters for lunch. Can you say PIZZA PARTAY!? Yum! Our Ping Pong table was transformed into a pizza table and we all ate and got to know each other a little better. I made friends with all of the girls right away. I think we're going to have a great time together!

After lunch, we had a tour of the building. One thing I like about the Main building is that it is divided into two parts. The old part called the East Wing is all wooden. It's super cool.....

The old, wooden side of the building is so pretty. I love the ceiling! 

The newer part of the building is called the West Wing and it is made of marble. It's beautiful too! 

The marble section of the Main Building

I had a quick stop to see the Legislative Library. The public can't go in, but I got to see it! 

This is the Legislative Library where Aides do research for their MPPs. 

A couple of other neat things from our tour was seeing the huge marble walls where all of the past MPPs had their names carved. In this carving you can see two of the first women elected as MPPs to the House, Mrs. Rae Morrison Luckock and Miss Agnes C. MacPhail

 The first women in the House in 1943 had their names carved in the wall with MISS and MRS. in front of them to really highlight the fact that they were women. This statue is of Miss Agnes MacPhail

I also got to see where some of the MPPs had their offices in the building. Guess whose office this is? 

Premier Wynne's office door!

One of the super coolest things about Queen's Park is that it is attached to a building across the road called the Whitney Block by a TUNNEL!!!!!!

Quick tip: The Whitney Block is named after former Premier James P. Whitney and is where the Clerks offices are. 

As PEYge, I will get to deliver messages to the Clerks offices in the Whitney block by underground tunnel! It's sort of like a super spy mission! I think it's cool!

The Whitney Block!

After our tour, we went back to the Page Quarters to be fitted for our uniforms. The tailor took our measurements and will alter the pants and jackets to fit us perfectly for our first day. Here is how I look in my uniform (it's just missing the vest and the jabot. Oh, and my hair will have to be tied back with black elastics and hair pins while I'm working). 

Almost ready!

We joined our parents for a question and answer period back in the second floor room to finish the day. It was a full day but I felt really great and much more confident about what I'm going to be doing. There is still a lot to learn before my first day and I'm sure I'll be a little nervous but I really liked my teacher, my Page team and the building. I'm looking forward to starting in just one week and 5 days. 

--- PeyThePEYge

PS. For those of you wondering how I did on my MPP test...... the teacher decided to be a little lenient with us and to give us the BIG test on our first day. I'm glad I studied and knew everything for Orientation though because I was able to answer questions and move around in the Chamber a lot easier since I already knew where people would be sitting. :) 

Country PEYge, City PEYge

This little rural village PEYge has hit the big city! Here I am in Toronto, all checked in to my hotel (which has not one but TWO bathroom sinks!) and ready for my orientation day tomorrow!

I had to pack some of the pieces of my uniform (my white button up shirt, black belt with a silver buckle and black leather shoes with no coloured stitching or buckles) because tomorrow they will fit me for the rest of my outfit (my jacket, jabot and pants). The dress code at Queen’s Park is very strict. I must always wear my uniform, my hair must be tied back with black elastics/hairbands and I can’t have any jewellery, died hair, coloured nail polish, hats or really anything outside of my actual uniform. Some people might think this is a huge deal for 5 weeks but I’m kind of use to it since my school has a uniform as well. Not quite as strict as this mind you, but still.

I’ll also have my photo taken tomorrow for my official security identification! I’ll be given an ID tag to wear at all times. I’ll also get a pin with my name on it that I will wear on my uniform jacket.

Tomorrow I’m anxious to learn more about the program expectations. I will be tested on my knowledge of all the MPPs and their ridings and the ministers (you know, the stuff I’ve been stressing about!).

What I actually can’t wait for is to meet the other students who are going to be my fellow pages for this term. It’s going to be great to meet other kids with similar interests from across the province.

One of the benefits of this trip to Toronto (and because my mom wants to help me get my mind off of being nervous about tomorrow’s test) is that I now get to go do some SHOPPING!

Look out Eaton Centre… here I come!

---- PeyThePEYge

Pages Through Ages

Did you know the Page Program unofficially started in 1834? 

That's a super long time ago!

Back then, the Pages were actually called Messengers and they brought all of the MPPs sandwiches and ran errands for them. These messengers were boys between the ages of 10 and 14. Most of these messengers came from poor Toronto families so the wages that they earned would have been a BIG HELP to their families. 

There have been official Pages at Queen's Park since the current Legislative Building opened in 1893 and that's when the program really began to be official and get better for the Pages. 

In  1946, one of the MPPs fought for the Pages because they were staying in a little, dark basement room. 

They hired a tutor for them in 1952 who taught them math and helped them learn about Legislative process. 

In the 1960's, the Speaker decided that it was finally time to really do something about their working conditions so they moved the Page quarters up out of a basement into the main building.  This Speaker's name was Mr. Cass and he really helped make the Page Program better. He even opened up the program to kids from outside the Toronto area and made the Program available to kids across Ontario. 

In the 1970's, they FINALLY allowed GIRLS to become Pages. They even paid the girl Pages the SAME amount of money to work as Pages as they paid the boys, and the girls did the exact same work and wore the exact same uniforms! Talk about equality! 

There was one year (1980) when the entire group of Pages that was serving was ALL GIRLS! Talk about GIRL POWER! This was because the applications form girls WAY outnumbered applications from boys 131 to 62! Now they try to bring an equal number of boys and girls to the program. 

QUICK FUN TIP: In a summer session in 1992, not a lot of Pages were available. One of the MPPs complained that the MPPs could not get along without Pages. 

BONUS QUICK FUN TIP: A World War I Veteran who was unable to find work became a Page. He was pretty small so none of the MPPs noticed that he was an adult!

One of the great pieces of Page history is that a 13 year old girl named Roisin Hartnett was the first blind Page in the Legislative Assembly. She went to Queen's Park with her guide dog, Penny. She thought that being blind might lessen her chances of being a Page but she applied anyway and was really excited to be accepted.  I like this story and hope that Roisin became a good example for kids with disabilities that you can do whatever you put your mind to! 

One thing that hasn't changed over the years in the Page program is that it is full of  kids who want to be involved in the political process, learn new things, meet other kids with similar interests and have high academic marks. 

---PeyThePEYge

My Tiny MPPeeps

A new, fun slang word to use when talking about your group of friends or the people you spend a lot of time with is "peeps". I guess it's short for people. You might say, "Yesterday, I was at the park hanging with my peeps" or "I'm going to the library with some of my peeps".

I've been carrying around tiny little flashcards off the MPPs with their faces, names and ridings on them to help me prepare for my upcoming test. Since I'm spending so much time and going practically everywhere with these tiny MPP cards, I like to jokingly refer to them as my tiny MPPeeps. :)

I thought you might like to see how I'm preparing for my big test, so here is a video of my studying skills! :D

WHEW! Now THAT is a mouthful! 

Thanks for helping me study!

---PeyThePEYge

PS - Some of you may have noticed I kind of sort of made an itty bitty, tiny shminy, itsy bitsy teensy weensy mistake in the video. When I showed my MPPeeps flashcards, I said you can see that the card "has their names on the front and on the bottom it has their riding and their party". Oops! What you actually see on the front is their face. Their name, riding and party is listed on the bottom/back part of the card. All I can see on the flashcard when I'm studying is the MPPeep's face. The rest is all memorized! :D

Stress Test!

Oh, hi! How are you?

Me?

Ohhhhhh, I'm just  you know.... fine.

Relaxing. Totally chill. Not worrying about anything at all. No stress. Not anxious. Just you know....

WAITING TO GO TO MY ORIENTATION DAY ON THURSDAY!!!!!!

Not that I'd have anything to worry about when it comes to orientation. It's not like I'm going to be

TESTED ON ALL OF THE MPPs by FACE, by NAME, by RIDING and by SEAT in the House!!!!

Nah.

And it's not like I also have to know

The MINISTERS and their MINISTRIES, the CLERKS, how to get around the WHITNEY BLOCK and the NORTH WING and the MAIN BUILDING

or how to

SIT PROPERLY

and

BOW PROPERLY

and how to

DELIVER DIFFERENT KINDS OF REPORTS, BILLS, PAPERS in the House.

Naaaaaaah.

It's okay. It's just a little test. No need to worry at all!

Hah.

Haha.

Hahahah.

Okay, so I'm a little bit stressed about Orientation.

I have 3 days to really memorize all of the things I need to know and it is a LOT of information! I mean, a LOT. I do have a good memory and I've got MOST of it memorized, but I still have a little way to go.

And by little way I mean....

I still have to memorize ALL OF THE NDPs!!!!!

That's 20 people.

Their faces, their names, their ridings and where they sit.

By Thursday.

I'm not panicking. 

Much. 

At least I have been able to watch the Training DVD that came in my package. It's been really helpful because it goes over a lot of the information I need to know to get around the buildings. It also reviews the different procedures that happen in a day in the House and gives some history about the Page program.

So I'm working REALLY hard to be ready to go. I'm excited about it but I am truthfully a little nervous too. 

I guess I should get back to studying! Tiny MPPs.... here I come!

-- PeyThePEYge

A Lucky PEYge!

In the summer the Legislative Assembly doesn’t meet at Queen’s Park. You might think this means that all of the MPPs get to relax and have a nice summer holiday, but you would be wrong. They are still busy working for the people of Ontario.

Yesterday, I got to actually see some of this work happening!

I had hoped to meet one or two of the MPPs who represent ridings in the Ottawa area because they are close to where I live and I figured the more I see them and hear them talk, the better I’ll recognize them in the Chamber at Queen’s Park!!! I tried to make arrangements to meet with MPP Madeleine Meilleur at her constituency office.

QUICK TIP: A constituency office is the office in the riding of the MPP where they work with their staff when they aren’t at Queen’s Park. People who have concerns or questions can call or visit the consistency office to talk to their MPP.  

Bonus Quick Tip: MPP Meilleur is also the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services and Minister Responsible of Francophone Affairs.

In an amazing stroke of luck, the day I was trying to meet with MPP Meilleur, the whole Eastern Ontario Liberal Caucus was meeting right at her office! Her executive assistant asked if I would like to come and meet many of the local liberal MPPs all at once and so that is exactly what I did!

Quick Tip: A caucus is a group of elected members of a party. It also means a private meeting of the members of a parliamentary party. 

When I arrived at the office, the door was locked. We had to ring a bell and wait for one of the staff members to let us in the office. We sat and waited for a few minutes and then the door of a little meeting room opened and MPP Meilleur came out and invited us into the room.

In the meeting room was....

MPP Chiarelli

Quick Tip: MPP Chiarelli was the mayor of Ottawa before he was an MPP and now he is also the Minister of Energy.

MPP Yasir Naqvi who is the Minister of Labour, and Joh Fraser who is newly elected as MPP. He is replacing Dalton McGuinty who was also the former Premier of Ontario.

I met all of the MPPs and had my photo taken with them. MPP Meilleur was very nice and had a good sense of humour. Also, she likes to shop just like me!!!!

It was really great seeing how the constituency office works and having the opportunity to meet with most of the Ottawa area MPPs. I really like how all of the MPPs I have met and spoken to so far are so happy to talk to me about the Page Program and are so positive about the experience! 

MPP Meilleur, PeyThePEYge, MPP Fraser (in the back row), MPP Chiarelli and MPP Naqvi. 

---PeyThePEYge 

TUNED IN!

There’s a radio show on CBC Radio One called “Ontario Today”.  I tuned in today to listen to the special guest, Kathleen Wynne.

Premier Wynne was in the studio and she was talking to the host about the gas plant issue.

Quick Tip: There were 2 gas-fired electricity plants that were to be built in the Toronto area but the Ontario government cancelled the plans. This made people upset because the government still had to pay a lot of money even though the plants weren't constructed. 

Premier Wynne said she understood why people are upset and she wanted to make sure that everyone knew that the government always tries to be honest and open about what they are doing.

Then Premier Wynne began taking calls from people from all over Ontario who had questions that they wanted to ask her.

One of the callers was from my home town and she was asking about government support for services with young adults with developmental disabilities. She said that her daughter who has a disability is unable to live on her own and it is difficult for her to get a job and most of the services available now are for kids, not adults. Premier Wynne said that her colleague, Ted McMeekin who is Minister of Community and Social Services had been trying to get more services for adults with developmental disabilities and funding for different associations that already exist.

It was a really interesting radio show. What I liked was that Premier Wynne was answering calls from different people about many different topics and she was answering them very honestly. She really seemed to care about what they had to say.

If I was the Premier of Ontario I would try to do these kinds of interviews a lot because it’s important to know what people in Ontario are thinking and feeling about the government. It’s important to be accessible to the people you are supposed to be representing. Without talking to people, how can you know if your government is doing a good job?

--- PeyThePEYge

Places, Please!

Today was a BIG day! 

Mr. Morin from the newspaper came to interview me about being a Page. The article should be in next week's paper! :D 
While he was here, there was a knock at the door......

It was.......

A delivery person! Receiving mail is super exciting! I love getting packages! But this was a super, extra, fantabulous delivery because it was...

MY LEGISLATIVE PAGE PROGRAM PACKAGE!

I've been waiting and waiting for this package because it contains all of the information I'm going to need to know for my term as a PEYge.

This package has EVERYTHING! 

There is a training CD that I can't wait to watch, a student handbook that will be like my new Bible, forms for me to fill out, forms for my school, information for my parents and even a handy dandy Ride Guide for the public transportation system in the big city!


Yes indeed, I'm going to be all set! 

 

Ah, but that's not it! There's more! Lots more!

113 things more, to be exact. 107 little tiny MPPs and 6 little tiny Officers of the House.

Obviously, the first thing I did was cut out my new tiny MPP cards and arranged them on the coffee table. Ta Da! Pretty impressive!  

To be a PEYge, I'm going to have to learn each of these 107 MPPs by face, by name, by riding (that's the area of Ontario they represent) and where they sit in the Legislature! I also have to know which ones are Honourables (those are the ministers) and what their portfolios are (the ministries they are responsible for). PLUS I need to know each of the 6 Officers of the House (which includes the Sargeant-at-Arms and the clerks). 

On August 29th, when I go to the Orientation Day at Queen's Park, I'm going to have to know all of this information because I'm going to be tested on it! Yikes! I'm going to have to study very, very hard!

 

I'm glad to have this package though, it helps me to be a little less nervous now that I have so much information about the program. They even included a schedule so I can see what my day is going to look like. Did you know that most days I will have to be at "work" from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.! That's a LONG day, but I'm really looking forward to it! 

You know what else I'm looking forward to? Spending the next few weeks playing Parliamentary Debate with my tiny little MPPs. 

 Oh! Did You hear that??? Tiny Premier Wynne has just decided that she is stepping down and that I'm going to be her replacement! (I think there's gonna be cake ;) !!!!!) 

-- PeyThePEYge

The Name Game. It's Magic!

I'm an avid Harry Potter fan. I've read all of the books at LEAST twice. If there was a Harry Potter trivia game, I'd be the gold medal champion! In Harry Potter, one of the workplaces is the Ministry of Magic and there is a Minister of Magic who oversees everything. This is sort of like the Legislature because we have ministers too! Except, sadly, our Ministers don't carry wands. Or disapparate. 

In the Ontario Legislative Assembly, there are Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). They are the people who we elect from different ridings across the province. 

Quick tip: A RIDING is the geographic area that an MPP is representing and responsible for. There are 107 ridings so 107 MPP seats in the Legislature. 

The MPPs are a mix of Liberal, Progressive Conservative and New Democratic Party representatives. 

But here is where the magic ministers come in....

The Premier gets to appoint certain MPPs in her party to be Ministers. This means that they get extra responsibilities and are in charge of certain things. They act as leaders and as the Premier's advisors. I've been learning the Ministers and here is what I know so far: 

Quick tip: Because our current government is a Liberal run government, the Ministers are all from the Liberal party.  

Bonus Quick Tips: We call the Ministers "Honourable" as their title and they are also called Cabinet members. 

There are 25 ministers but there are more than 25 special responsibilities so some of the ministers have extra jobs! 

Quick tip: The ministers sit right up in the front row of their party seats. 

Here is a list of our current ministers and their responsibilities. I'll also share how I'm remembering each of them because it's really hard to remember what they're each responsible for!

Honourable Jim Bradley 
Minister of Environment
I remember him because my sister and I got to submit an Order Paper Question to him asking him about making changes to Ontario's recycling program so that we have a deposit on cans and more incentive to recycle like the other provinces that are doing it (BC, Alberta and Quebec).

Honourable Michael Chan
Minister responsible for the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games
Also Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport
I remember him because Chan sort of rhymes with Parapan. I remember that he has a second role as Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport because "Games" goes with sport.

Honourable Bob Chiarelli
Minister of Energy
I remember him because I think Chiarelli is ch-ch-chilly so turning up the heat would cost ENERGY!

Honourable Michael Coteau
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

Honourable Brad Duguid
Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities
I remember him because everyone wants to Duguid (sounds like do good) at University!

Honourable John Gerretsen
Attorney General (the Attorney General is in charge of the justice system in Ontario)
I remember him because a garret is a small space like an attic. So if you don't follow his laws, you'll end up in a garret (prison)!

Honourable Eric Hoskins
Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment
I remember him because the First Nation Peoples TRADE skins (HoSKINS)

Honourable Linda Jeffrey
Chair of Cabinet
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
I remember she is chair of cabinet and then think that chairs and cabinets go in houses!

Honourable Jeff Leal
Minister of Rural Affairs

Honourable Tracy MacCharles
Minister of Consumer Services
Her last names starts with Mac which makes me think of Big Macs and we consume Big Macs.

Honourable Deborah Matthews
Deputy Premier (this means she takes over if Kathleen Wynne can't do her job)
Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

Honourable Madeleine Meilleur
Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services
Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs
I remember her because she is my daddy's boss!

Honourable John Milloy
Minister of Government Services

Honourable Reza Moridi
Minister of Research and Innovation
The beginning of his name Reza sounds like the beginning of REsearch
And my mommy is a researcher

Honourable Glen R. Murray
Minster of Infrastructure (things like roads and bridges)
Minister of Transportation
I remember him because his two responsibilities go together (you transport things on roads and bridges)
Also, my sister made up a little jingle that helped me. It goes like this:

Murray! Hurry! Transportation!

Honourable Yasir Naqvi
Minister of Labour
I remember him because I think, "are you working?" YESSIR!

Honourable David Orazietti
Minister of Natural Resources
I remember him because gold is a natural resource and the french word for gold is OR and his last names begins with OR

Honourable Teresa Piruzza
Minister of Children and Youth Services

Honourable Liz Sandals
Minister of Education
I remember her because she is Minister of Education and I'd like to be a teacher when I'm older. Also, her last name is sandals which is like shoes and I LOVE SHOES! Finally, her first name is Liz and that's the name of my best friend! She might be my favourite Minister. I wonder if she has a wand and wears fancy sandals?

Honourable Mario Sergio
Minister Responsible for Seniors
Minister without Portfolio (this means that he doesn't really have a Ministry because there isn't actually a ministry of seniors, but he is responsible for seniors. Premier Wynne also wanted him to be one of her advisors).

Honourable Charles Sousa
Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet
Minister of Finance

Honourable Kathleen Wynne
Premier of Ontario
Minister of Agriculture and Food

Honourable David Zimmer
Minister of Aboriginal Affairs

These Ministers are all in charge of the ministries they are responsible for. They all meet regularly to talk about what they want to propose to the Legislature. 

If I was an MPP I would want to be appointed as a Minister and not just because I like the idea of being called Honourable! I think having extra responsibilities and being in charge of a Ministry is cool but I think talking to the different people in the ministries (like if I was minister of agriculture, talking to all of the farmers and finding out what their concerns and questions are) would be the best part of the job! 

Now I'm going to wave my magic wand and disapparate! 

-- PeyThePEYge

Demos and Kratia

The words in my title aren't names for characters in a book, though they would make good ones, I think!

They are actually Greek words that when you stick them together, mean democracy. What they really are is a story about how our governmental system here in Canada was formed. (You can see I've started studying for my PEYge adventure!) 

Parliamentary democracy was created in Greece but England sort of took it over and developed it a bit more. The English government instead of just having a King or Queen as they had in the past, decided to create a parliament.

Quick TIP:
Parliament comes from French word "parler" which means "to speak". 

The parliament started as a group of advisors to help the King or Queen make decisions. That kind of meant that the King didn't really have full power. He couldn't just yell "off with your head" and your head would be off. Thankfully, he'd have to first talk it over with his advisors, the parliament. This would at least give you a couple extra days with your head intact while they argued about what to do! :) 

In 1215, the English government passed something called the Magna Carta which is probably the most important law that there is. It meant that the British people had absolute rights and that the parliament had even more power than before... the King even had to go to them if he wanted to do something as simple as raise taxes! 

Over time, the English government developed more and more. In the late 17th century, people realized that the parliament had even more power than the King did. The parliament passed something saying that the King no longer was in power, it was the parliament who decided everything. And even though they had said with the Magna Carta that British people had absolute rights, they were doubly confirming it now, saying 'you definitely have these rights!'

The King still was there, but the parliament really controlled everything. 

Most people know that Canada was sort of controlled by the English government for a long time and so was the States. Then came the Revolution and we, as a Country, were on our own! Before we were all by ourselves, we were ruled the same way as England with a parliamentary democracy. We kept that system even after the Revolution. 

Our system in Canada continued to grow and change. 

We now have a:

Federal government 

who look after things related to Canada as a whole so ... immigration, the environment, national security and things like that

Provincial government 

who look after health care, roads and schools, farming, driving licences and things that affect Ontario

and Municipal government 

who look after roads, garbage collection, housing taxes, playgrounds in your village or city

The Legislative Assembly is provincial government. They meet at Queen's Park which is in Toronto. 

There, we have three different parties who have "seats" (there are 107 total seats) in the legislature.

The Ontario Liberal Party (they currently have 50 seats)
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (they currently have 37 seats)
The New Democratic Party of Ontario (they currently have 20 seats) 

There are two different types of provincial government:

1. Majority Government

There are 107 seats in the Legislature. In order to have a Majority Government, whichever party is in power (whichever party has the Premier in power), have to have at least 54 seats (that's exactly half the seats in the Legislature.) If they do, then that means that they can pass laws, bills and budgets without needing any votes from other parties. 

2. Minority Government

We currently have a Minority Government. This means that the party in power (now, it's the Liberal party) has less than 54 seats so they need the support (and votes) of other parties (like the New Democratic Party) in order to pass laws, bills or budgets. If we have a Minority Government, they need to have confidence of the House, meaning they need to pass all of their laws and budgets because if they lose confidence of the House, that means they lose power and have to have a re-election. 

Quick Tips: 

Ontario currently has a Minority Government because the party in power only has 50 seats (not 54)

The Liberal Party is in power (Kathleen Wynne is their leader, the Premier) 

The Opposition (the party with the second highest number of seats) is the Conservative Party

I'm learning so much about the parliament already. I can't wait to get to Queen's Park and really see first hand what the government does!

-- PeyThePEYge

You Can Colle It a Wynne-Wynne Situation!

So some of you might know that I had the awesome opportunity to meet MPP Steve Clark who is a Conservative MPP from my riding of Leeds Grenville. MPP Clark stopped by my house to meet my sister and I after we did our Share Your Hair Project. He actually stopped by on election night which I thought was pretty cool of him. What I like most about Steve Clark is that he is really easy to talk to, he is connected with his community and he stands up for what he believes in. 

BUT

This weekend, I actually had an opportunity to meet another MPP. (I'm starting to wonder if politicians are following me around ;) !) MPP Michael Colle is a Liberal from the Eglinton-Lawrence Riding, has a cottage right near my Noni and Boppa's cottage in Quebec. MPP Colle was out for his morning run (this guy is amazing, he is 68 years old and runs marathons. Awesome!) when he stopped by the cottage to say hello and talk to me about the Page Program. If I was feeling nervous about going and being a PEYge, MPP Colle really helped me realize that the MPPs are just regular people who, like me, want to be involved and make positive change in their communities and in our province. I thought it was so nice to meet him and his wife. I'm looking forward to seeing him again during my term of duty. 

Me and my sister with MPP Colle at our cottage.  

And just when I thought it couldn't get any better than having met two MPPs before I become a PEYge.........

(my suspicion about being followed by politicians was confirmed!)

I was enjoying Canalfest which is a celebration in my village to recognize the importance and awesomeness of our canal, when I saw out of the corner of my eye our local mayor, Mr. Struthers. I wondered why he was surrounded by tough-looking body guards with earpieces and news reporters. I know he's important, but the body guards were a little over the top! Then I noticed that there was someone next to him who looked familiar. It took me a minute to realize it was

PREMIER KATHLEEN WYNNE!!!!

I couldn't let the opportunity to meet Premier Wynne pass me by! I immediately walked over and waited to meet with her. Mayor Struthers introduced us and I told her that I would be serving as a PEYge this fall. 

She was so nice and she congratulated me saying that it would be such a wonderful experience for me.  I asked if she had any advice and she said that I shouldn't be nervous or afraid to ask questions. That a big part of being a PEYge is interacting with the MPPs and Premier Wynne because it gives a chance to ask questions and learn from their experiences. She told me that I should definitely visit her office and remind her that we met at Canalfest. I think one of the funniest parts of our conversation was when she met my sister, Taylor. She looked at us both and said, "I can't tell which one of you is the oldest sibling". It's funny to me when people mistake us for twins or can't tell our ages apart, especially since now I'm taller than Taylor who is 2 years older than me! 

Premier Wynne was so kind and pleasant. I thought it was great that she was taking the time to stop and meet people in the park, to listen to what they were saying, to answer questions and to meet with me! 

Meeting Premier Wynne would be a pretty amazing experience for any kid, but it meant a little more to me since it gave me an opportunity to introduce myself and talk to her about the Page Program, and really see her as a real person out in the community before meeting her in the Legislature. 

Me with Premier Kathleen Wynne!

Talk about an AMAZING weekend! And this is only the beginning! 

-- PeyThePEYge