To support the curriculum of both the Civics and History classes, our Grade 10 Students ventured downtown to Queen’s Park on April 12th. Taking a guided tour of the Legislative Building, students were able to walk in the footsteps of history, learning the importance of the building itself, built in 1893, seeing, first hand, historic ceremonial items like the mace, and understanding the irreplaceable role that government plays in modern society.

While MPPs were not sitting during the visit, this afforded our group the chance to take full advantage of the quiet building, and explore uninterrupted. We were lucky enough to encounter a few MPPs working in their offices, who kindly stopped to say hello and welcome us to the Legislative Assembly. While most visitors can only view the Legislative Chamber from the Public Galleries, we were able to stand on the main floor of the Chamber, and gain some unique insight into what our politicians see while representing our communities.

We were also able to talk about the importance of active participation in government, and the role we play as citizens. Of particular interest was a mock election, whereby students assumed various roles within Ontario’s society, and saw, first-hand, the impact on policy when people chose not to vote.