The future of municipal politics looks bright with 26 members being sworn into youth council.
Council chambers were packed with friends and family in Lloydminster as the 2025-26 Youth Council was officially sworn in on Oct. 20.
The council has been going on for a number of years and Lloydminster sees the value in having the program.
“Councillor Justin Vance started at the Youth Council (and) became a city councillor,” said Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers. “The young folks, they are our future and it doesn’t matter if they’re business leaders, if they’re social workers, city staff, employees, mayor, MLA, potentially a prime minister in that group of 26.
“I think it speaks so clearly and favourably for our community, the future is bright for Lloydminster.”
New and returning members made up the group as chair Addison Smith steps in to fill the seat. It’s her second year on the council and she was originally inspired to join by another familiar face.
“Ife (Antonio) inspired me a lot and I just wanted to find a way to push myself a little bit and get into the community,” said Smith of former Youth Council chair Antonio. “I really like helping others, so, I thought it’d be a good opportunity for me.”
Despite Antonio stepping out of the chair role, she’ll still be in a leadership position to help Smith with her duties.
“I’m the chair emeritus this year,” said Antonio. “I’ve been on Youth Council for three years. Started with my first year as a regular member, then I moved on to the chair and now I am the chair emeritus.
“This role is new, they just created it this past year and this essentially is just a mentor to the chair, supporting the chair and their decisions and what they decide to bring to the council.”
Antonio first found herself interested in Youth Council when she was lacing up a pair of skates.
“I was at a skating event. Begged my parents for skates for the winter and then Youth Council was hosting an event at Servus Sports Centre at their outdoor rink,” she said. “I had hot chocolate, I had pizza, best thing for a nine-year-old, and I had the best day.
“I was like, OK, I want to be a part of this. I want to be someone who’s not only receiving this but also putting this into the community for other kids that age to experience.”
Antonio has set a goal for herself to pursue a career in business moving forward.
“I want to pursue a career in business, I’ve set my mind on this for a long time,” she said.
She hopes to attend the University of Alberta, going specifically into finance.
When it comes to what we can expect from Youth Council this year, we can expect the events and podcasts to continue.
“We’re always open to ideas. Our social media is somewhere where we’re trying to promote a little bit more of, hey, what does our community want,” said Antonio.
For Smith, the new Youth Council chair, it comes down to being able to help others.
“I love helping people, we do a lot of volunteer work, it’s nice just helping people out,” said Smith.
She’s setting goals for this year, taking the new leadership role in stride.
“To become a better leader, I’m quite a shy person, so this is definitely a big step for me and I want to continue to push myself, so I feel more confident,” Smith explained.
The council has a big impact on the people that work with them.
“Honestly, the kids inspire me every single year,” said Rhianna McCaffrey, co-coordinator, Youth Council. “They come in so, so quiet and shy and then you see them come out of their shells every year. You kind of have that moment where you become inspired by what they have to say and what their ideas are.”
Youth Council is comprised of members between the ages of 14 to 18. If people want to get involved, the second week in August every year, applications open up for youth council.
To apply or find more information, visit the Lloydminster Youth Council on Facebook or Instagram.
Read more: Youth Council presents year in review
