Grade 12 graduation has come and gone and Gabriel Kreiner, like the rest of Jasper’s young adults, has turned a new page in his book of adventures.
The 脡cole Desrochers graduate is one of 40 individuals selected from across Canada for the House of Commons Page Program. Pages perform administrative and ceremonial duties during parliament, such as delivering important messages to the prime minister from members.
“I’m very interested in parliament and the way laws are made, so I think being a page is a front row seat to learning that firsthand,” said Kreiner. He will also study public administration and political science at the University of Ottawa in the fall.
Kreiner is the first 脡cole Desrochers student to attend the page program, said principal H茅l猫ne Gendron. “He worked really hard all year to get to this point, so I think it’s really wonderful that he’s going to have this opportunity.”
A member of the University of Ottawa told Kreiner that he was an ideal page candidate because he is bilingual and has shown leadership in the community.
Kreiner was a member of the province-wide Minister’s Student Advisory Council for two years, where he “had the important responsibility of representing Jasper students and Francophone students of the province in front of the minister of education.” He was also elected to the Francophonie jeunesse de l’Alberta board.
“I also know two pages and they both said it was a terrific opportunity and they encouraged me to pursue it as well,” said Kreiner.
The page application process involves a number of steps, including tests and language evaluations to ensure candidates are truly bilingual. Kreiner also had an interview at the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton. “I had to prove that I know about the parliament and parliamentary procedure, and what my job as a page would be.”
Kreiner moves to Ottawa on Aug. 24 and will undergo a week of training. In order to be a page, he and the others must pass another exam and learn the names and faces of all 308 MPs. After clearing final hurdles, the pages will participate in parliament’s next session, which is listed as Sept. 16.
A couple months ago, Kreiner received a taste of Canada’s capital when he travelled to Ottawa with the Rotary Adventure in Citizenship program. “I was selected by the Jasper Rotary Club to participate in a large program to visit Ottawa to learn about citizenship and parliament and politics.”
Kreiner will work the part-time page position throughout the school year and until the contract expires next August. “I’ve heard that the page program leads into other opportunities,” he said. Past pages have gone on to become parliament tour guides or hold other parliamentary positions.
As he explores other endeavours, Kreiner cherishes the support and opportunities he received in Jasper.
“I really appreciate what my school 脡cole Desrochers and [my previous school] 脡cole Publique Gabrielle-Roy, did to get me to this point,” he said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it on my own and I really appreciate the support that I’ve received from my family, and especially from my school.”
