The Department of Political Science's annual Federal-Provincial simulation is celebrating 50 years of live-action political role-playing.
Canada's longest-running simulated federal-provincial conference took place yesterday and today, and is co-organized by Political Science and the Waterloo Regional District School Board's History Heads' Association.
The event opened yesterday with an address from MPP Catherine Fife and former Ontario cabinet minister John Milloy. Ministerial delegations made up of students from Waterloo Region's high schools then participated in committees addressing financial, justice, health, environmental, agricultural, economic, immigration and aboriginal affairs. In addition, students playing the roles of Canada's first ministers conducted meetings.
Student Arjun Pandy of Waterloo Collegiate Institute will serve in the role of Canada's prime minister. A total of 315 students will participate in the event.
Gerry Boychuk, Political Science department chair comments:
To watch this number of high school students wrestling with some of the most important national issues of our times with this level of intensity is absolutely amazing.
Participants from a number of schools also produce newspapers during the conference to provide information about the proceedings and to spark debate.
Today, the final day of the simulation, awards will be presented, including:
- The John Boulden Award, named after one of Fed-Prov's founders, given to the student First Minister most able to articulate the position of their assigned government and to achieve the goals of their delegation;
- the Advisors Award for the student who most exemplifies the vital 'behind the scenes' work essential to the success of their delegation;
- the Waterloo Record Press Award for the best coverage of the conference by a school press team; and
- the UW Faculty of Arts Award for the student who did the most to resolve differing opinions or conflict within or across delegations.
Story adapted from Daily Bulletin.