Feds aren't doing enough to help students, university leader says
Student leaders at the university and college in Thunder Bay, Ont., want to engage students in this election
The Lakehead University Student Union wants to make sure that the concerns of its members are front and center in the federal election.
The president of the student union at Lakehead says a university education is becoming too expensive, and the federal government isn't doing enough to help.
"So why isn't education a priority and why aren't young people a priority?"
Jakubowski noted that young people aren't able to spend money in their communities when they graduate with $30,000 of debt.
"That's basically $30,000 that was taken out of the economy of Thunder Bay," he said.
"I think [students] have quite a bit of power, and it's up to us to leverage that and make sure that we have MPs who are going to work for us."
On Oct. 7 the student union will host a debate for candidates in the Superior North riding.
Pizza and politics
It's organized a series of lunchtime conversations with local candidates, at the student lounge.
Student union president Chris Cartwright said the "pizza and politics" events are a chance for students to meet local candidates and ask questions.
And he wants to combat the low voter turnout among youth.
"The total student population of Confederation College throughout northern Ontario is around 4,000 students, which could have a swing impact on all of the candidates," he said.
Cartwright told CBC News he's received a positive response to the events from all the local election candidates.