June 30, 2010
2010 Create Your Canada winners
Prince Rupert Daily News
A voluntary humanitarian tax to assist international relief efforts and mandatory helmets for downhill snow sports to reduce serious head injuries are the winning entries in the Skeena-Bulkley Valley 2010 Create Your Canada (CYC) contest.
“Once again, our judges were faced with some very tough decisions,” MP Nathan Cullen said. “It is incredibly inspiring to hear some of the ideas that young Canadians today have to make our country even better.”
Grade 5 Muheim Elementary (Smithers) student Emily McCosker-Hobley’s proposal for a simplified system to route donations to the Canadian Red Cross for international aid was the winning entry in the junior category (Grades 5-8).
“Our taxes help us stay safe, build our schools, and give us clean water. Not everyone in this world has these things. By checking off the humanitarian tax box on your tax form, you can help to share our good fortune and care for others less fortunate,” 11-year-old Emily wrote. “If everybody in Canada donated $1, only $1!, that would be over $33, 000, 000. Just think about what that could do!”
Grade 10 student Justin Steenhof (Bulkley Valley Christian School, Smithers) is this year’s senior winner (Grades 10-12) for his call for safety on the slopes.
“We know that the leading death factor for skiers is the head injury,” wrote Justin in his submission. “We can significantly cut down on the amount of head injuries and death-related to head injuries if downhill skiers and snowboarders just all wore helmets.”
Contest judges had high praise for student entries again this year.
“I was impressed with the depth of thought put into the ideas,” said judge Deb Hadwen, economic development office for Fort St. James. “I was also very pleased to see the range of topics covered by the initiatives; it shows the youth of today include a global perspective of the world in their daily lives.”
“I was blown away by the maturity and insight of these young people,” echoed Smithers’ retailer Jason Krauskopf of Rayz Board Shop, a junior entry judge along with 2009 CYC senior winner Claire Hinchliffe and summer parliamentary intern Graham Martinelli.
Also volunteering their time to judge this year were Lakes District Secondary teacher Pat Dube and provincial court judge Agnes Kranz of Prince Rupert.
Cullen launched CYC last year to challenge students in Grades 5-12 to write a piece of federal legislation to improve Canada. Winners are flown to Ottawa to watch Cullen introduce their bills in Parliament. This year’s winners will go to Ottawa in October.
