Activism is a catalyst for change. Brigette DePape knows this better than anyone, and aims to engage young people in politics by turning apathy into action.

DePape, most famously known for holding a Stop Harper sign as a Senate page in 2011, was in town a few weeks ago and sat down for an interview at the Free Press Café. DePape spoke passionately about the benefit of young voters, among other issues.

 Of the 10 million registered Canadian voters, 1.8 million of them were young people. Rorie Mcleod Arnould, President of the UWSA, agrees that this is an absurd statistic that must
be addressed.

 “The current federal government was elected with a majority by capturing the vote of less than a quarter of eligible Canadian voters,” Mcleod Arnould says. “This democratic deficit is shameful and the manner in which this government has claimed an overarching and radical public mandate is disrespectful to Canadians.”

 DePape is currently working with the Council of Canadians, campaigning to get more young minds into the polling booths. The recently launched “Get out the Youth Vote” campaign started here in DePape’s hometown of Winnipeg on Feb. 25.

 The campaign aims to trigger a wave of young voters and in turn a renewed political outlook for youth. In doing so, it will hopefully dull the apathy that surrounds Canadian politics and ignite interest towards a better Canadian future.

“I definitely understand the cynicism around voting, and I share a lot of it,” DePape says on the Council of Canadians webpage. “In my perspective, voting alone is not the solution to a failing democracy, but it is one critical step within our means in the next few months to see some change we want.”

DePape holds a lot of optimism on how much the missing 1.8 million youth votes will help shape our government. Shannon Sampert, Perspectives and Politics Editor at the Winnipeg Free Press, views the votes in a more jagged realistic perspective.

 “She claims if you do vote, you get the government you want. That’s just flat-out wrong,” writes Sampert in a Feb. 26 opinion piece. “More than 4.5 million Canadians voted NDP in 2011 and more than 2.7 million voted Liberal. I’m pretty sure they don’t feel like they got the government they voted for.”

 But we have to start somewhere. And DePape is starting the voting conversation for young people. I asked Zach Fleisher, the Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students, how important it was for youth to vote.

 “Imperative. In an ever-changing world, we’re facing a bleak future with climate change and poor economic prospects,” says Fleisher. “Regardless of the party, we need to ensure that our issues are talked about and that youth are given a fair chance to voice their concerns.”

 Although many recognize that voting isn’t everything, it’s something. Sometimes a trailblazer like DePape is needed to open our eyes to the young political power that’s all around us. 

 Samantha Sarty studies psychology and english at the University of Winnipeg. You can find her sitting in the front row at an afternoon movie.

Published in Volume 69, Number 24 of The Uniter (March 11, 2015)