Notes from the Rotary Meeting 12.30pm Thursday, June 11, 2026.
President Olaf chaired the meeting and welcomed everyone.
Club Business:
President Olaf began the meeting by confirming the date of the CBRHS awards ceremony - June 18th.
He also informed everyone about a request from Louise Gauthier (CB Nuit) for sponsorship and the opportunity to speak at Rotary regarding the CB Nuit 2026
Festival which will be held September 18 – 20th. Rotarians email Olaf if you have any issue with this. Remember personal donations can also be made at info@cbnuit.com. Rotarian Gerry suggested that we sponsor a particular event at for example the Rotary Arts Centre.
Guest Speaker:
Following the meal, Dianna Alteen introduced the guest speaker - Kyah Gould - who won the Adventures in Citizenship speak off this year and recently returned from her trip to Ottawa. She won the speak off in March and participated in the program in May.
Kyah enthusiastically thanked everyone for inviting her back and shared her experiences using a slide show with lots of pictures and stories. Highlights include:
Day 1 - She moved into a University of Ottawa residence, was welcomed, attended presentations, did a bus tour and visited a sugar shack. She particularly enjoyed a presentation by Mr. Gilbert Whiteduck who spoke about indigenous representation, and a presentation by Jake Sawatsky - a 26-year-old MP who is a mental health advocate.
Day 2 - was Parliament Day. This was Kyah's favourite day as she got to visit the House of Commons. While it was an early (6AM) start, she loved it. The parliamentary pages spoke, and Kyah spoke with the clerk too. She also attended a Q&A with Mr. Francis Scarpaleggia - speaker of the House of Commons. Kyah sat in Carol Anstey's seat for all of this. There was then a Q&A reception with 3 MP's - Elizabeth May, Stephanie Kusie and Fares Al Soud. At the reception, Kyah met Carol Anstey where they talked about the cost of living and the affordability of university.
The highlight of her trip was on Day 3 when she attended the Citizenship Ceremony. It ended her experience in the perfect way. Approx 30 people were sworn in as citizens. She felt it was what the whole adventure was leading up to.
Overall, Kyah learned that everyone has a voice, and it's important to use it- to ask questions and to ensure the country grows and thrives.
Kyah then spoke about her plans to attend Acadia University in the fall to study Political Science. She thanked the club for the opportunity and also thanked her teacher Ms. Grudich for all her help.
A few club members asked questions, and we found out that Kyah didn't get to see Mark Carney - much to her chagrin.
Dianna thanked Kyah for her enthusiastic presentation and stressed the importance of having our club sponsor the Adventures in Citizenship program.
The meeting was then adjourned.
Rotarian Janice Spencer