By Cecilia Nasmith
Cobourg council welcomed two mayors to its Tuesday meeting – duly elected Mayor John Henderson and the 2019 winner of the annual Student Mayor For A Day contest, Rowan Tardik.
The Grade 5 student at C.R. Gummow Public School had dinner with Henderson and a coaching session on opening the council meeting before conducting the first few items of business. This included a presentation of his own, in which he spoke of a curiosity about politics.
Part of the contest was sharing ideas about how to make the community better, and Rowan had three – help addicts to get the treatment they need so they can get a job and, eventually, a home; hold a fundraiser for the homeless so they can be taken care of; and help the homeless with their mental-health issues by funding more therapists and social workers.
“This has been an amazing experience, and I appreciate your time,” he said.
“I did not help him with one iota of that excerpt,” Henderson added.
“He shared that with me over dinner this evening. I did not even suggest to Rowan, His Worship, what the issues should be, so that tells me our youth have a great awareness of what's happening in Cobourg.”
Part of the prize the young mayor has won is to have Henderson visit his classroom to explain and answer questions on local government – and to provide a pizza lunch.
Along with the youth-sized mayoral robes and the chance to wear the chain of office, Rowan received a gift bag that contained his own Mayor For A Day business card. As well, Rowan Tardik Street street sign will be mounted beneath Second Street as an additional name for the street at the northwest corner of Victoria Hall through Nov. 19.
This is done every year, Henderson said, and he is often asked what happens to the street signs once the renaming period is over. At that time, he revealed, they are returned to the young mayors for the day as a keepsake.
