Montague man named to Prime Minister's Youth Council

Not many people get to spend quality time with the prime minister but a young man rom Prince Edward Island recently had the chance to do just that.

'I'm very much in the mindset that a youth issue affects all regions in Canada'

Sam Juric · CBC News · Posted: Aug 08, 2019 12:12 PM EDT | Last Updated: August 8, 2019

'It was just an incredible experience to voice concerns of ... Canada's North and youth in the North but also to be able to field questions and concerns that we had as young people in Canada,' says Brooks Roche, a member of the Prime Minister's Youth Council. (Submitted by Guillaume Vallée)

Not many people get to spend quality time with the prime minister but a young man originally from Prince Edward Island is doing just that.

Brooks Roche, who grew up in Montague, P.E.I., has been named one of 18 members of the Prime Minister's Youth Council — a non-partisan initiative run by the federal government. He started his work on the council in July. The council meets about three or four times per year.

It is certainly a culture shock getting to see a side of Canada that's so often forgotten about.— Brooks Roche

The 22-year-old has worked with other members on the youth council to weigh in on government policies and inform the prime minister on issues directly affecting youth.

Recently, his new role on the council took Roche on a trip to Nunavut for the council's first meeting in Northern Canada.

"It is certainly a culture shock getting to see a side of Canada that's so often forgotten about and so often kind of pushed to the back burner," Roche said.

New-found appreciation

Roche said the experience gave him a new-found appreciation for the rich traditions and culture found in Northern Canada.

During the visit to Iqaluit, Nunavut, Prime Minister Trudeau spent about four hours with the youth council, Roche said.

"It was just an incredible experience to voice concerns of ... Canada's North and youth in the North, but also to be able to field questions and concerns that we had as young people in Canada," he said.

Brooks Roche, who grew up in Montague, P.E.I., has been named one of 18 members of the Prime Minister's Youth Council — a non-partisan initiative. The council meets about three or four times per year. (Submitted by Guillaume Vallée)

Language protection, food security, economy

Topics of the discussion included protection of Indigenous languages, food security in Northern Canada, and development of the economy in the region, Roche said.

"I'm very much in the mindset that a youth issue affects all regions in Canada ... a youth issue doesn't exist in a vacuum, it affects all Canadians," he said.

In the brief time the council has spent together so far, Roche said, the group has been able to connect on a lot and pin down priorities.

There are so many issues worth standing up for.— Brooks Roche

He said the council has already committed to drafting a few letters to the prime minister on key issues including food insecurity in Northern Canada, "which is reaching crisis levels and it was really unfortunate to witness that first-hand."

"There are so many issues worth standing up for," Roche said.

Roche recently graduated with a bachelor of environmental design studies from Dalhousie University school of architecture, and will be pursuing a masters of business administration in global leadership from UPEI this fall.