Despite being a few years away from the ability to vote, Okotoks own Harriet Smith was announced as the first place winner at the National Democracy Challenge of 2014 in the writing category.
The National Democracy Challenge is a yearly learning activity for young Canadians from ages 14 to 17 as a part of Democracy Week organized by the Elections Canada Initiative.
The 2014 challenge was tasking students to create a video, image or piece of writing to explain why Canada should vote.
Smith, a 14-year-old grade nine student at Okotoks Junior High submitted her piece of writing first as a school project, then to the contest after her social studies teacher pushed her to submit it.
Smith’s piece, “In a Cage”, was described as a metaphor for how non-democratic countries are like birds trapped in cages while Canadians are birds who choose not to fly.
Smith said that there were about 300 other entrants and that she was notified by email shortly later that she was in the top six.
In her piece, Smith wrote about how Canadians are ignoring their right to vote and that citizens should be caring about what’s happening in their country. This last point is why Smith doesn’t want voting to be made mandatory either.
The voter turnout in the most recent federal election in 2011 was at 61.4 per cent, making it the third lowest in Canadian history, while turnout was a dismal 19.9 per cent in the 2014 Macleod byelection.
“It’s a blessing to have this voice,” she said. “It always annoys me that we have this gift and people ignore it.”
After asking what she thought about citizens that don’t vote because they believe their vote doesn’t end up mattering, Smith explained that every little bit counts.
“Even though it’s a big country even a little vote counts,” she said.
Smith was awarded a MacBook Air laptop for her first place award while in second place was Amina Mecheri, a 16-year-old from Montréal, Quebec and third place being Natasha Lévesque-Wong, a 15-year-old from Mississauga, Ontario.
“I was doing a happy dance up and down the hallway,” Smith said about her reaction after hearing she had won.
She said she would like to thank everyone that supported her in and out of school and that everyone should remember their right to vote.
“A difference is still a difference,” she said.
