What Do You(th) Think?: Recent Episodes
James Caldwell
Atlantic Canada faces many issues, but one that is especially troubling is how fast young people are leaving and how few ever come back.
In this show, I hope to start conversations around issues that are important to the youth of our region and provide a youth perspective that is often left out of discussions.
Generally speaking, Atlantic Canadians like to boast about our affordable living situations, however, things may not be as they seem. In our urban areas, we have seen the cost of rents and housing prices explode, skyrocketing at an almost dizzy pace. This puts an incredible amount of financial pressure on young people and other low-income groups. So what can be done to help keep people housed?
I chat with two people from the PEI Fight For Affordable Housing who are working hard to help find solutions on Prince Edward Island. Ainsley Kendrick and Connor Kelly discuss the issues they see with the current system and suggest ideas on how we can help renters find affordable housing.
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Post-Secondary students have been struggling under the new challenges faced by the pandemic and the lack of accessibility to proper online materials. In New Brunswick, the New Brunswick Student Alliance has stepped up to fight for resources to help these young people survive during these challenging times. I chat with Wasiimah Joomun about some key issues and what is being done by student leaders and the government. We also discuss the importance of investing in students to ensure more recent graduates stay within the Province of New Brunswick.
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Have you ever wanted to get more involved in activism or politics, but it feels like there is a mountain of things you need to know first? Fear not! I chat with the newly minted Interim Leader of the New Brunswick New Democrat Party, Chris Thompson. We talk about our experiences on how we got started in politics and how important it is for engaged people to get involved. We also talk about what it's like to be the Interim Leader of a political party as a youth and how to make the changes you want to see happen.
Rest assured, getting started is not as hard as you may think!
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The campaign has flown by! This is the third and final episode of the Newfoundland and Labrador Election Special! In this episode, I chat with the incumbent NDP MHA for the riding of Labrador West, Jordan Brown. He gives his thoughts and ideas on how this election can impact youth and how government can engage youth more.
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Welcome back to the Newfoundland and Labrador Election Special! This is the second episode of the special where I chat with the President of the Young Liberals of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nathan Canning. We chat about Nathan's perspective on election issues and what the Liberal Party has done and is planning on doing for the youth of the Province.
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This is the first episode of the Newfoundland and Labrador election special. I chat with the President of the Young Progressive Conservatives, Nathan Ryan. We chat about what a PC government would do to help youth and, in his perspective, what are some of the most pressing issues for youth in this election.
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The pandemic has hit students incredibly hard. From losing summer employment to losing the benefit of in-person classes, this academic year has had a lot of additional challenges for students. To explore this issue, I chat with the Executive Director of Students Nova Scotia, Clancy McDaniel.
We chat about the most pressing issues post-secondary students in Nova Scotia face and how the affordability of a post-secondary education can have lasting impacts on people and the economy as a whole. We also discuss some ideas on how to keep more recent graduates in Nova Scotia. A great conversation filled with interesting facts and important stories.
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Student communities represent an important part of the overall youth voice, but who leads the charge when it comes to advocating for these students? Their student unions and associations! In this episode, I chat with Erica Seelemann, the Vice-President of Academic and External at the Dalhousie Student Union, about what being an advocate for students is like. We also talk about the importance of getting involved with student government and how you can have your voice heard. If you've ever wondered what student advocacy looks like or how decisions are made, be sure to tune in!
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Ever thought of running for your municipal government? Then you'll want to take a listen to this episode, where I chat with Belledune Councilor and business consultant, Sandenn Killoran. As the youngest councillor in the village's history, he discusses the challenges he has faced while advocating for more youth-centred policies while also trying to bring much-needed change. We also discuss what youth can do to have a larger impact on their local governments and what they need to be aware of when they are trying to navigate change in their communities.
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Many communities in Atlantic Canada are rural and have unique needs from our urban centres and the youth in these rural areas face unique challenges. In this episode, I chat with Lizzy Burns, a community activist with an interest in making rural communities better for youth. We discuss how rural New Brunswick has become a transportation desert and the barriers that exist to moving around in rural Atlantic Canada. If you've ever missed a bus, or live somewhere buses don't even go, then this episode is for you.
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Happy holidays everyone! I wanted to do something a little different since a lot of people are running around with holiday plans. So this episode is me doing a little re-cap of the past episodes and going over some of the more important points. It's the perfect episode for those of us that love highlight reels. I also have a small ask towards the end.
We will be back to regularly scheduled programming next week but until then, enjoy my summary.
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We all know that a big part of staying somewhere depends on the kind of connections and relationships you develop in that place. No one knows this better than Patrick Richard, one of the founders of the Hub City Young Professional Network based in Moncton New Brunswick. Patrick and I discuss what can be done to increase youth retention in our urban areas and the importance of community groups to help build a sense of belonging. If you want to learn more about Moncton's growing youth power, take a listen!
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Have you ever wanted to get involved in politics, but didn't know where to start? Then you'll want to tune in for this episode! I talk with former Interm Leader of the New Brunswick New Democratic Party, Mackenzie Thomason.
We discuss his experience with New Brunswick provincial politics, the barriers youth face in joining the political process and how we, the young people of Atlantic Canada, can engage our elected leaders. It's a great conversation from start to finish with lots of actionable information for those looking to get more involved!
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It's easy to assume that people leave our region due to a lack of jobs, but in this episode, we push further into the issue. I talk with a powerful advocate for youth, Kj Conyers-Steede, and we discuss how systemic challenges prevent and discourage youth retention and attraction. Honestly, we hit on a lot of different and complex topics, most of which we couldn't fully explore within the episode, but it starts a meaningful conversation and hints at deeper issues within our region. Regardless, one thing is clear; what New Brunswick really needs is more unity.
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Welcome to the show! This introduction episode sets up the whole reason why I am undertaking this project in the first place. I'll be talking to leaders from all around Atlantic Canada to discuss what challenges youth face in their communities and what their ideas are to help solves these challenges. If you want to know what the youth think in Atlantic Canada be sure to listen.
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