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Mar 26,2006 - Apr 2,2006 |
New youth councillor plans to roll up his sleeves
Mark Frisoli to represent the City of Vaughan's younger generation
By Francesco Riondino
At last, the City of Vaughan has its Youth Councillor, long advocated by Regional Councillor Mario Ferri (pictured below).
The way leading to the inauguration ceremony for Mark Anthony Frisoli was long but well worth the wait, as now - according to all the city councillors and many observers - Vaughan's experiment could be used to write guidelines for similar initiatives in other Canadian cities.
Days after his inauguration, Mark Frisoli has his office and phone line, essential tools enabling him to start his work.
"I'm very eager and happy for this opportunity," Frisoli explains. "I intend to get busy right away, working on my mandate: getting the voice and needs of our youth to the Council. The problem is that nobody knows exactly which needs are these. I can offer my personal experience and the results of the discussions carried out over the past few months within the Youth Cabinet [Ed. Note: a volunteer advisory body]. We need to go beyond that, to dig deeper."
Mark Frisoli has taken contacts to survey Vaughan schools. "I've been in touch with both School Boards. In the next few days, the members of the Youth Cabinet and I will visit several schools, discussing with students from every walk of life and ethnic origin. There will be a questionnaire, and the replies should let us get a better idea of the condition of youth in Vaughan."
Knowledge and understanding are the bases for designing targeted and effective policies and strategies. "We are also working with the Safety and Security Task Force [Ed. Note: led by Julian Fantino] on a questionnaire on safety in our city. Many issues concern young people and their social interactions, so this will also give us important data."
A final issue that Frisoli intends to work on immediately regards the sports programs in community centres. "Sports are fundamental for our youth, a healthy way to spend time and find new friends... We need to do everything possible to lead young people to these programs, and especially to make these activities as affordable as possible, and I will insist on this concept."
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