It was anything but a typical morning at Niverville High School when several grade nine students took the spotlight with spirited debates about Canadian politics, and Mayor Myron Dyck had a front-row seat.
Mayor Dyck, along with Provencher MP Ted Falk and local MLA Ron Schuler, recently joined the school's civics presentations as part of the grade nine curriculum exploring the federal government.
"It’s always great to be invited by the teachers at Niverville High School when their grade nines look at different aspects of politics. You know, do we need the Senate? Do we still need the Crown? Is our voting system the best one for our country?”
The event wasn’t just about sitting in and listening.
Dyck and his fellow government guests were involved in judging the semifinal round of the students' presentations.
“Some of us adjudicated one semifinal presentation and some of us adjudicated the other,” Dyck explained. “Then we choose a winner based on knowledge, presentation skills, and overall engagement.”
After the semifinal, the winning groups received feedback and coaching from the judges to help them prepare for the final round, where things really heated up.
“One group in particular had these two students that really got into it,” Dyck said with a smile. “It was like I was in the House of Commons. One student would get up to speak, and the other would jump up right after to respond. Then back and forth again. It was great. I could have watched it all day.”
The presentations happened during their regular morning class time.
“They’re presenting in front of their peers, and also to us, government officials,” Dyck said. “That can be intimidating, but they did really well. They brought it.”
While the format didn’t leave much room for students to ask questions of the guests, Dyck said the judging process included follow-up questions meant to challenge the students' critical thinking.
“I asked one group about the Senate,” Dyck recalled. “I said, ‘If you’re saying we need it, what kind of qualifications should a senator have?’ I used an example, ‘If I want to go see a doctor, I don’t just want someone who’s popular, I want someone qualified.’ So I asked, ‘Should senators be appointed because they’re friends of the Prime Minister, or because they meet certain criteria?’ It was interesting to hear how the students processed that.”
Beyond judging the presentations, Dyck sees the event as a way to connect with future community leaders.
“So, I’ve been doing this for a number of years, and I always tell them, Niverville Town Council invites any young student who wants to join as a junior councillor. And I also, remind them, I’m not getting any younger. Maybe there’s a future councillor or mayor in the room.”
And were the students up for it?
“Oh, absolutely. I was encouraged,” Dyck said. “You hear the word ‘politics,’ and most adults might start yawning. But these kids, they were passionate, they were prepared. Hats off to the teachers, and to the students themselves.”
With experiences like this, Dyck said, “the next generation of leaders is already well on its way.”