It was a chance for youth to ask the questions they care about to the mayoral candidates. The Youth Vital Signs (YVS) Mayoral Candidates Forum on Youth Issues was held on Thursday, Oct. 16 from 6-8 p.m. at the Winnipeg Art Gallery Muriel Richardson Auditorium.

The YVS Forum shared and further promoted our city’s Youth Vital Signs results, and gave young people the chance to address issues and ask questions that are important to them.

The forum, moderated by Community News Commons Associate Noah Erenberg, was attended by approximately 200 young people, with many participating online through Twitter.

Six of the seven candidates were there, with Gord Steeves being the only one not to attend.

Questions were generated with help from young Winnipeggers including Youth Agencies Alliance and Aboriginal Youth Opportunities.

Paul S. Graham videotaped the forum, and you can watch it in its entirety here:

From March to May 2014, more than 1,800 young people aged 14-29 participated in Youth Vital Signs. They graded our city in 15 key areas, shared their thoughts and opinions, identified opportunities for change, and categorized priorities for community investment.

A project of The Winnipeg Foundation, YVS Winnipeg is part of a national initiative that gives youth a new way to share their perspectives on local issues. The goal of YVS is to provide all of us with a better understanding of what is important to the city’s young people. Survey results have the potential to influence decision-making at many levels.