Two Grade 9 students become Ottawa's Mayor for a Day
The municipal election campaign is underway in the city of Ottawa. While five people have already filed nomination papers to run for Mayor, two Ottawa high school students beat them to the job – although just for a day.
Merivale High School Grade 9 students Sam Benes and Dayna Xiao won a contest to be Mayor for a Day. Candidates had to submit an essay, explaining what issues matter most to them.
“Even though I think it’s such an amazing city, I think you could do a little bit better on educating people about racism and discrimination,” Xiao told CTV News Ottawa while on a tour of Ottawa City Hall.
“I would like more community involvement,” said Benes. “One of my ideas was an outdoor-interactive art installation.”
Their ideas to improve Ottawa on cultural representation, environmental health and mental health. They entered politics to make a difference, even if it was just for a day,
“It’s important to be involved in the community and know what’s going on,” said Benes.
“It’s so prevalent in our lives,” said Xiao.
Mayor Jim Watson took the two on a tour of City Hall, explained the city’s history while showing exhibits in the Barbara Ann Scott Gallery, and they attended city meetings.
The two students also spent time in an OC Transpo LRT simulator.
“Very cool, it’s a really high-tech simulator,” said Benes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.