Youth Parliaments in Canada have their origins in the "boys’ work" movement of the YMCA over one hundred years ago. Taylor Statten, a Boer war recruit who joined the YMCA as a means of continuing his physical fitness activities upon military discharge, was driven by his ambition to design a proper boys’ work programme with the Toronto YMCA.
In 1912, Statten became the Boys’ Work Secretary on the national YMCA executive and established the Canadian Standards Efficiency Training programme, a system of graded tests where boys passed from one level to the next. In 1916, Statten made his great “Coast to Coast Tour”, which included a stop in Vancouver. It was on this tour that Statten first envisioned a national boys’ conference, where the boys could determine their own priorities, and his idea soon developed into the concept of a boys’ Parliament. Fortunately, the Ontario BWB was interested, and Statten organized the first Ontario TUXIS & Older Boys’ Parliament in 1917.
The first BC Older Boys’ Parliament was held in January 1924. The Premier was Walter S. Owen, who later became the Lieutenant Governor of BC (1973 – 1978). Our mace was the donation of St. Andrews Presbyterian (now United), where Owen’s TUXIS group met.
While the 15th Session prorogued with the full intention of holding a Session in 1940, OBP did not meet during World War II. By war’s end, the TUXIS movement had diminished and the National Boys’ Work Board was in a weak state of affairs. It took the Boys’ Work Secretary for the United Church, Rev. Robert McLaren, to revive the Older Boys’ Parliament. Through his efforts, the pre-war partners joined forces to establish a Parliamentary Convention in Vancouver to rebuild the organization. Delegates from around BC attended this conference, which expanded to include representatives of other boys’ groups.
The 1940s were an unstable period for the OBP. Fortunately, key alumni and strong Premiers with good cabinets carried OBP through the late 1940s when a proper Senate and well-founded Parliament were established.
During the 1950s Parliament began to develop a more service-oriented programme run by its own members rather than working with programmes run by other organizations. Parliament’s social service programme expanded in the 1960s and while camping had been a steady part of Parliament since its inception, Parliament had always been involved in other organizations’ camps, and never our own. This changed in December 1967 when the 37th Session legislated Camp Phoenix. That first camp was held at Camp George Pringle with 36 underprivileged and handicapped boys.
Since the 5th Session, resolutions had been introduced to admit girls as members. By the 1960s, the Canadian Girls in Training were taken up by the media, spearheaded by Victoria Times columnist Elizabeth Forbes. By the late ’60s the issue was being taken seriously by the OBP, but with strong Senate opposition, which included the veto of one resolution in the positive in 1971. Some of the “Older Boys” who opposed admitting women went as far as to organize an “Older Girls’ Parliament” to sit during the Easter break.
With the election of the NDP under Dave Barrett, pressure came from the government to open Parliament to all or face losing the use of the Legislative Buildings. Thus, the BC Youth Parliament came into being for the 44th Session in 1974. Our first female Premier was Susan Hunter of the 49th Session in 1977 (the numbering of Sessions was altered in the mid-1970s).
Developments of the 1980s saw Statten’s dreams of 1916 come to fruition with the formation of the National Youth Parliament in 1982. A Western Canada Youth Parliament was also formed in this period. While the National Parliament has collapsed, the WCYP continues on a biennial basis.
As part of this new direction from bigger national (and even international) projects, a long-standing goal, going back to similar projects in 1970, was realized with the creation of the Regional Youth Parliaments programme, which was meant to include more than the 80 or 90 youth who could attend the Parliament in Victoria and spread the youth parliament movement. The first Kootenay Youth Parliament was held as a pilot project in 1987 and was followed in 1988 by Regional Youth Parliaments held throughout the province.
In the 1990s, with increasing costs of running the BCYP’s annual Session and holding Camp Phoenix, both Senate and Parliament became increasingly concerned with fundraising and the long-term financial health of the organization. Starting with a bequest from Walter S. Owen, the Alumni Society undertook the “Walter S. Owen Fundraising Campaign” between 1991 and 1993. The campaign raised $75,000 in donations and the Vancouver Foundation matched that amount, to establish the Walter S. Owen Fund in the amount of $150,000. That Fund continues to provide the Alumni Society with financial security. BC Youth Parliament undertook its own fundraising initiative, by holding a dinner-dance and “Dream Auction” in 1992. The auction subsequently evolved through various formats, to become a major annual fundraising event for Youth Parliament.
Current Parliamentary events all have roots in past history. Trends in the Parliament include a growing role for RYP’s, rejuvenation of camp, concerns about Parliament’s role in community service, and establishing a sound financial base for the growing expense of its projects. The BCYP is proud to stand apart from other provincial youth parliaments in that ours goes beyond being a “mock” parliament, with our legislation becoming action in our community. The Parliament is also proud of those notables who have worked to promote the Parliament. Many distinguished community figures have served as Lieutenant Governor, and alumni have taken their parliamentary experience into such diverse fields as art, law, journalism, politics, business, religion, and medicine. Prominent alumni include Walter S. Owen, Linda Reid, Kerry L. Simmons Q.C., Jack Davis, Eric Nicol, Russell Brown and A. Yung.
The Youth Parliament, which has “lasted longer than any of the organizations that go into the making of its structure,” according to a past Premier, is sponsored by the Youth Parliament of BC Alumni Society, which was formed in 1974. The Senate carries on the duty of ensuring a session is held annually and supporting the endeavours of the Parliament.
For ninety-one sessions, young people have made Parliament grow. The membership of each and every session contributes to constant growth and development while passing the traditions of the past.
In fun and recent history, during the 87th session, Neil Parkinson-Dow danced in floral leggings in front of Linda Reid and Camp Phoenix was run again for the first time in several years. In the 88th session, a Disney star served as a Premier and DJ Skyle made their world premiere. In the 89th session a Five Michelin Star dish, spaghetti pie was served at Camp Phoenix; as well, the famous meme page “Procedural Memes for Parliamentary teens” was created. In the 90th session, the infamous saying “it’s 2 am” was coined, and Rhett Mutschke has roughly consumed 150 Lindor Chocolates over the past few years.
We are looking forward to making fun traditions and history with all the new members of the 92nd Session!
Yours in Parliament,
Olivia Reid-Friesen