Next Gen Insider

Morgan Sharp reports from Toronto on the city's young population and their civic engagement and impact on the local institutions that make democracy function.

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531 Articles

Critics take Ford to task for leaving education, climate out of Ontario throne speech

Doug Ford’s speech on Monday to mark the start of a new legislative session in Ontario touched on economic growth but did not mention education, child care or climate change.

Morgan Sharp

October 4th 2021

Ontario Liberals say Doug Ford should send more COVID-19 tests to schools

Ontario’s Liberals are calling on the Ford government to send out many more COVID-19 rapid test kits to schools, especially in hard-hit neighbourhoods, as children make up a growing portion of the province's overall case count.

Morgan Sharp

September 29th 2021

Mississauga teen cracks TikTok, takes jewelry business global

A high schooler from Mississauga mastered the art of the TikTok video and saw her hobby business selling jewelry explode. She’s hoping the earnings and other accessories help her pay to attend a top U.S. business school.

Morgan Sharp

September 28th 2021

Young activists say this year’s climate strike is more important than ever

Hundreds of thousands of young climate activists took to the streets in cities around the world on Friday to push for climate action.

September 24th 2021

Pollster says youth vote was likely quite evenly split

Younger voters only favoured the Liberals over the Conservatives by a small margin just ahead of this week’s federal election, Abacus polling data shows.

Election 2021

Morgan Sharp

September 24th 2021

Vaccine passport months too late, still hampered by capacity limits, says one business owner

The COVID-19 vaccine passport should have been implemented two months ago, and now that it’s here, capacity limits should be eased, the owner of a small Parkdale arcade bar says.

Morgan Sharp

September 23rd 2021

What did young voters get out of the 2021 election? That our leaders need to work together

With the federal election leaving the balance of power almost untouched, what did young voters get out of this campaign?

Election 2021

Morgan Sharp

September 22nd 2021

Study details struggles of precariously housed 2SLGBTQ+ youth through COVID-19

The extended restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic have been especially tough on the mental health of 2SLGBTQ+ youth experiencing precarious housing, who are forced to spend more time in unsupportive homes or find alternatives without access to shuttered services.

Morgan Sharp

September 21st 2021

Young Toronto voters on what matters this election

Younger voters make up around 40 per cent of the electorate but are often seen as unmotivated to participate in the electoral process. Here are some of those who did show up on Monday on what matters to them.

Election 2021

Morgan Sharp

September 20th 2021

Pull Up! exhibit celebrates Toronto’s Black club culture

Black youth made to feel unwelcome in Toronto’s nightclub district have developed their own club culture largely hidden from view, one that is being celebrated in an online exhibit that launched this month.

Morgan Sharp

September 20th 2021

One of Ottawa’s youngest MPs in 2015 paves way for more diverse voices

Kamal Khera was the youngest Liberal candidate elected to Parliament back in 2015 at the age of 26. She says it has been a priority of hers ever since to help other young people, and especially women from diverse backgrounds, to join her in politics.

Election 2021

Morgan Sharp

September 17th 2021

High-schoolers behind Homework Hub expand free online tutoring

Paris Cai and a growing network of high school and university students are helping hundreds of Grade 1 to Grade 7 students in need of academic assistance in Ontario and some outside of Canada with free online tutoring.

Morgan Sharp

September 16th 2021

Young NDP candidates cut their teeth in short campaign

Two of the NDP’s youngest candidates are learning the ropes in Toronto ridings where incumbent politicians seem secure, allowing them to explore the mechanics of electioneering and party politics in their first campaigns.

Election 2021

Morgan Sharp

September 15th 2021

Young Toronto Green candidate thinks politicians need a science lesson

Phil De Luna took a leave of absence from a climate science research position to run as a Green Party candidate in a Toronto riding. The 29-year-old’s team has used tech to canvass on a budget and hope his example shows other young folks that politics is possible for them, too.

Election 2021

Morgan Sharp

September 14th 2021

Queer artists using plants to heal a conflicted place

All plants are queer — especially weeds given their resilience despite not always being welcome — three of the six young artists-in-residence at "Queering Place" agree, as they tend to a medicinal garden and plan drag, spoken word, and cabaret performances at a former colonial outpost.

Morgan Sharp

September 13th 2021