Students in Grade 6 at Greentree School and St. Anthony’s School recently had the opportunity to participate in a mock referendum vote to name the new Town of Drumheller events float, all part of their Social Studies curriculum.
The results of the student’s referendum were announced on Tuesday, July 1, during the Town’s Canada Day celebration event.
“I was surprised by the political engagement of the average 12-year-old in Drumheller,” says Mr. Visser. “The students were engaged both in the voting process and in their questions they had for the Mayor. I am excited by the contributions to our democracy that these bright students will bring in the coming decade.”
Drumheller Mayor Heather Colberg, Town of Drumheller Returning Officer Mitchell Visser, and Substitute Returning Officer Angela Keibel gave students a hands-on learning experience in the classroom. Students learned about municipal governance and the role Mayor and Council play in local decision-making, and learned about the democratic process of the upcoming 2025 Municipal Election. They also learned about referendums and how they are used as a democratic tool at multiple levels of government.
Mr. Visser says while Grade 6 students have been given tours of Town Hall annually during their democracy unit, this is a brand new initiative. Given the success of the event, Mr. Visser shares that this is something the Town would be “open to exploring more practical learning opportunities.”
He adds students had a lot of questions for Mayor Colberg about Town operations and major initiatives.
Following the lesson, students held their own mock referendum to decide the name of the Town’s new events float. A ballot with a shortlist of potential names for the float was given to the Grade 6 students, with names like Badlands Buggy, Cretaceous Cruiser, Dino Drifter, Dino Valley Vroomer, and Hoodoo Hauler.
A total of 88 students cast their votes. During the Town’s Canada Day celebrations, the results of the vote were announced, with the events float being officially dubbed the Dino Drifter with 34 votes. Cretaceous Cruiser came in second with 25 votes, Badlands Buggy came in third with 14 votes, and Dino Valley Vroomer and Hoodoo Hauler each received seven votes.