C.K. represented in N.S. youth democracy challenge

Youth ambassadors helped launch a campaign Feb. 21 to get their peers more involved in communities and voting.

Democracy 250 co-chairman John Hamm was joined at Province House by hip hop artist Jordan Croucher, 2008 ECMA award winner Stephanie Hardy, singer/ songwriter Dwight d'Eon and high school anti-bullying activists Travis Price and David Sheperd to announce D250: Make Your Mark.

Other campaign ambassadors include Chad Denny, formerly with the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers and now with their East Coast Hockey League affiliate, the Gwinnett Gladiators; and the Halifax Mooseheads' Brad Marchand, gold medalist at the 2008 World Junior Hockey Championship.

The campaign, part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the birth of parliamentary democracy in Canada, features the youth ambassadors in national and provincial ads that will air throughout the year. "The vast majority of young people under 25 aren't voting," said Hamm. "To change this, we need to know what's on their minds and, hopefully, respond in a way that encourages more of them to see the importance of democracy and the value of voting."

The slogan Make Your Mark encourages youth to get involved in communities and to make their mark by speaking on issues and voting.

In addition to the campaign, Democracy 250 will host a series of town hall meetings this spring with students participating in a simulated election before breaking into smaller group discussions on youth issues.