Recognize any of these students from 1993?

Do you recognize any of these Grade 3 students from Elizabeth School in Kindersley, who were featured in a February, 1993 edition of The Clarion? The following article was written by Patricia Balderston.

Democracy was at work in the grade 3 classes at Elizabeth School. Students are learning about local government as part of their social studies curriculum. Teacher Shirley Griffith said the best way for youngsters to understand the process was to hold their own election.

Both Griffith’s and Louise Cowell’s classes held open nominations for candidates wishing to run for mayor and the six councillor (not aldermen) positions in each room. Once the candidates were declared, they went to work on campaign posters and prepared for their election speeches.

The West Central Events Centre concerns these young voters just as it does their parents and grandparents. Candidates had ideas to help raise money for the project such as holding bake sales, garage sales and a sale of used hockey equipment.

Another issue concerned the environment and a candidate suggested that the school start a recycling centre to control the amount of cans and paper discarded.

Students compiled a voters’ list and made up their own ballots by hand, a project that required a lot of writing. A poll clerk and deputy returning officer were appointed to assist on Election Day.

Four people ran for mayor in both classes and there were eight councillor hopefuls in Cowell’s class, and seven in Griffith’s.

Once the votes were tabulated, Mayor Ryan Walker was declared the winner in Room 107. He is joined by councillors Brandon Cooke, Jamie Heenan, David Gassner, Scott Grainger, Miranda Seidel and Deiter St. John.

Room 105 will be governed (temporarily at least) by Mayor Crystal Ehresman. There was a tie vote and councillors Amy Dahl, Joe-el Desjarlais, Ryan Harrison, Michael Leeks, J.D. MacKenzie, Ryan Woodrow and Tyler Wooldridge were all elected.

These newly-elected officials will not serve long. They will have one joint meeting in the coming weeks to defend their record to voters and then they will retire, for the time being, from their lives in politics.