Calling all future diplomats: Oshawa’s Mayor for a Day contest returns

There have always been mixed reviews on the performance of Oshawa’s highest elected position, so why not give the kids a chance?

If your middle school student has big ideas for the city now’s their chance to make a difference. The Mayor for a Day contest is back!

The City of Oshawa is inviting students in grades 5, 6, and 7 to write a letter explaining why they would like to be mayor for the day and what their vision for the future of Oshawa would look like.

Submissions should be no more than 500 words and highlight the student’s understanding of municipal government. The would-be Mayors are welcome to include creative elements in their submission, such as photos, drawings, etc.

Callie is the reigning Mayor for the Day and the Grade 6 student enjoyed a pizza party with her classmates in December before getting her day in the spotlight in January.

Callie’s ideas were to make Oshawa greener and more active and shew had some particular ideas on upgrading skate and bike parks, including more challenging obstacles for advanced skill range at Delpark Home Centre’s skate park and installing lights and a bike repair station at the BMX Park on Thornton Road.

She also wanted to see more dog parks for our four-legged friends, to encourage businesses in Oshawa to build gardens on balconies or rooftops and more trails and natural areas in the city, which could be accomplished by swapping roads and parking lots for more green spaces and walkways.

“The mayor is the face of Oshawa,” Callie said in her letter, “and that means that when someone thinks of Oshawa they think of the mayor and what they have done.

Along with plenty of congratulatory messages after her day in the mayor’s chair came a suggestion that perhaps Callie could be put on the payroll “as an advisor.”

Entries for this year’s contest must be received by midnight, Friday, October 11 and should include the student’s name, grade, an email address and their school name. Submissions can be emailed to [email protected] (with the subject line Mayor for A Day Contest) or mailed or hand-delivered to Oshawa City Hall (50 Centre St. S., Oshawa, ON, L1H 3Z7.)

The winner will be notified through their school on Thursday, October 24, and will enjoy a pizza lunch for their whole class and a visit from the mayor, a meeting with Mayor Dan Carter in his office at City Hall and a personal tour of the building, as well as a congratulatory certificate, swag bag and keepsake item.

Grade six student Callie was last year’s Mayor for a Day contest winner