Toronto, Ontario,September 2009- Alana Fansolato, a grade 8 student at Niagara Christian Community of Schools in Fort Erie, has been selected to serve as a Legislative Page at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in Toronto. During her term of duty, Alana will serve as a messenger on the floor of the Legislative Chamber, meet key parliamentary figures and learn about Ontario’s parliamentary system of government. Alana’s term of duty starts on November 13 and is expected to last up to 4 weeks.
Alana earned her spot in the program by submitting an application that included an essay, in which she outlined her achievements, involvements and suitability for the program. Alana was informed of her successful candidacy by phone and now is in the process of committing the faces, names and locations of the 107 MPPs to memory before arriving at Queen’s Park for her first day. Alana will be joined by 20 other students from across the province.
During a typical day in the program, Pages arrive at Queen’s Park at approximately 8:00 a.m., dress in their uniforms and then prepare the Legislative Chamber for the morning’s debates. As the day progresses, Pages are involved in a number of activities including: delivering messages and water for the MPPs in the Chamber, taking classes in Legislative Process and Mathematics, and meeting with key legislative players such as the party leaders and the Speaker of the House.
The Legislative Page Program is open to students in grades 7 and 8 who have an interest in current affairs, have an academic average of 80% or higher and get along well with their peers and adults. Applications for the Legislative Page Program are accepted for two deadlines each year: December 15th and June 15th. Grade 7 students are eligible for both of these deadlines. Grade 8 students may apply for the December 15th deadline only.
For additional information regarding Alana’s involvement in this program, please contact the Legislative Page Program at 416-325-7457 or at page_program@ontla.ola.org.
For More INformation Contact:
Ron Planche
Executive Assistant
Kim Craitor, MPP Niagara Falls
Parliamentary Assistant to
the Minister Community and Social Services
Contact Information:
Phone: 905-357-0681
Queen's Park: 416-325-3715
Mobile: 905-401-5699
Home: 905-357-0809
Fax: 905--357-9456
Email: rplanche@liberal.ola.org