Getting to know your MP better  

Harnoor Gill (right) with Minister of State Bal Gosal.
Harnoor Gill (right) with Minister of State Bal Gosal.

BY HARNOOR GILL

 

 Grade 11 student

Christ The King Catholic Secondary

Georgetown, Ontario

 

LAST weekend, I visited Chinguacousy Park in Brampton and had the opportunity to attend the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario’s barbecue in appreciation of the hard-working volunteers who are some of the hardest working grassroots activists in our community.  It was a great afternoon between networking and enjoying our community at the same time.  I had the pleasure of meeting community leaders from across the GTA including, Bal Gosal, Minister of State, and PC Regional Vice-President for GTA West, Jag Badwal.

Participating in community events such as these public barbecues and festivals are a fantastic venue for interacting with local politicians representing your desired party.  It’s a feel-good gathering where one can meet other influential individuals who share common goals, aspirations, and successes.   As a Georgetown resident in the riding of Wellington-Halton Hills, I came to know our local MP, Michael Chong, quite well from events he championed in our locality.  This past weekend’s event leads me to offer my congratulations and thanks to the PC Party of Ontario for the successful barbecue and their ongoing efforts to keep dialogue with politically active party members across Ontario respectively.

Not only did I have a great time, but I also had the chance to meet Jack Greenberg, President and Founder of the Halton Progressive Conservative Youth Association (HPCYA), of which I am a member.  I commend Jack on his continuous efforts at closing the age-gap faced within our party and for his tireless work in helping candidates in communities across the GTA, such as Markham, Brampton and Oakville.  Volunteers and party members like Jack consistently take time from their busy lives to raise awareness for issues important to our community.  I know that when volunteers actively engage with our neighbours to address the challenges we face, we stand a better chance at winning.  Overall, I enjoyed talking with Jack and discussing some of the upcoming events planned to take place this fall through the HPCYA.

Another huge highlight of the event was my encounter with the Bal Gosal.  I was quite excited to meet him and the ability to discuss an initiative I started, the Peace Welcome Club (PWC).  I am extremely humbled to learn of Gosal’s interest in the initiative and felt proud to present my efforts to someone as important as the Minister of State for Sports.  I decided to take a photo with him to capture the unique moment and preserve it as a memory.   As I mentioned early, it goes to show you can truly meet anyone at events in our own backyards.

I must thank Jag Badwal for extending invitation to me and my family to attend this event in the first place.  For many months I have been communicating with Badwal through anything from e-mails to messages on Facebook.   Finally, this was my first face-to-face meeting.  Without Jag Badwal’s invitation I wouldn’t possibly have enjoyed my afternoon as much as I did that day.

 

Let’s all get involved with volunteering and support our local Councillors, MPs and MPPs by going to their community events.