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Neil Atkins, 13, is following his father and sister’s footsteps to serve as a legislative page in Queen’s Park.
His older sister Claire Atkins served as a page in the summer of 2016 and his father, Peter Atkins served as a page in 1977.
“It sounded like a lot of fun the way my sister described it so I wanted to do it myself and see what the hype was about,” says Atkins who later took his sister’s help to study the names and faces of all the MPPs in the province.
Atkins was selected as one of 150 students across the province. His duties include assisting as a messenger on the floor of the Legislative Chamber, meeting key parliamentary figures and learning about Ontario’s government system.
To prep for this role, Atkins says he wrote a 750-word essay detailing his notable contributions in the community that reflects his hard work and interpersonal skills by speaking about his dedication to swimming and his initiative to direct talent shows and plays in his high school.
He says the duties of a page give him a unique perspective into the political environment with one of the most enjoyable duties being meeting individuals from across the province in Toronto.
“We learn a lot of what a government is and why it is like that and just being on the forth of the chamber is really an enlightening experience because not a lot of people get that so it’s super neat,” says Atkins.
He says his family and upbringing played a large role in his interest.
“From a really young age, we’ve watched the news with our parents and talked about different issues and current topics,” says Atkins.
"We are so proud of the kids and i think it is as Neil was saying, for any young person to have this opportunity is incredible, says his mother Faye Roberts.
She says both her and her husband have been very active in community events and charitable activities which the kids might have been influenced by growing up.
“I think the kids have picked that up and have an interest in the same thing so I think that’s really important,” says Roberts.
Atkins's role as a page started Oct. 24 and will end Nov. 7.
“It’s a really good experience and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in it and just give it a shot, apply for it, and if you make it, definitely do it,” says Atkins.
