Be mayor for a day

By Rechell McDonald
“It’s important for the youth of Whitecourt to know they have a voice here. They are our future business owners and community leaders.”
This is what Mayor Chichak said of the aim of the Mayor for a Day contest. This being the contest’s inaugural year, Mayor Chichak hopes it will serve to inspire children who are interested in government to get involved and see what it’s like to work for the people.
“I’m hoping they will enjoy spending the day with me and see what it means to be an elected official. We’ll be sitting through some meetings, one being with the Youth Advisory Committee, and I am hoping to be able to co-ordinate the day to include the official opening of the Winter Park.”
The day(s) will likely include a lot of questions for the mayor, but they are ones she is happily looking forward to fielding. The contest will have two winners, one from the grade 6 to 8 category and one from the grade 9 to 12 category, who will serve their day-long term on separate dates. The mayor is encouraging any student who has an interest in finding out what municipal politics are all about, to apply for the contest.
Applications will be accepted until November 2, and must be completed fully and have an essay component included with them. Full details of application requirements, where and how to submit them, as well as details regarding the essay component can be found on the Town’s website at www.whitecourt.ca.
The dates on which the winners will serve as mayor have yet to be determined and will depend upon the amount of entries received and how long it takes the judging panel to review all the submissions.