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Gibsons names youth councillors

Gibsons council will be welcoming two new members at its regular meeting Feb. 19.
youth councillors
Sacha Stipec (left) and Jason Lewis were chosen to be youth members of Gibsons council.

Gibsons council will be welcoming two new members at its regular meeting Feb. 19.

The Town announced earlier this week that Elphinstone Secondary students Sacha Stipec and Jason Lewis, both in Grade 12, were chosen from among five applicants to be the lead and alternate youth councillors.

“I am pleased to welcome Sacha and Jason to their new positions,” said Mayor Bill Beamish. “The Student on Council program is one that I have observed in other communities and found to be extremely beneficial for both the students, who gain a greater understanding of how local government works, and Council, which gains valuable insight into the perspective of a group that’s often left out of community discussions.”

According to the bios provided by the Town, Stipec is active in music, track and field, and the junior Rotary Club and volunteers with the Gibsons Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre.

Lewis is a youth representative for the NDP, as well as a member of Elphinstone’s student council.

The inaugural term for the youth representatives will run until June 2019, and the students will receive an honorarium of up to $75 for every meeting they attend. The money will be put in an education reserve they can access after completing their terms.

“During the first term of appointments, we will work with the two students to improve the program,” added Beamish. “This will become their legacy for students who follow, as well as a model for other communities to implement.”

The Town plans to appoint a new set of youth representatives to serve from September 2019 to June 2020.