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ENTERPRISE
Even though he is just 21 years old, Mathew Gauthier is into his third year as a councillor with the Hamlet of Enterprise.

Mathew Gauthier is a 21-year-old councillor with the Hamlet of Enterprise. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Gauthier was first elected when he was just 18 - the minimum age to serve on a council - and re-elected last year to a second two-year term.

When he first decided to run for council, it was because of encouragement from community members who wanted youth input on council.

"I had nothing to do in the evenings, so I decided that I'd come check it out and deal with all the politics," he said.

Gauthier may be considered the voice of youth on the hamlet council, but that is not the only people he represents.

"I do kind of try to get some youth things going, but other than that I work for the community," he said.

Gauthier noted he really didn't have an interest in politics before being elected to council.

"I don't mind it, though," he said. "Arguing is fun sometimes."

What he did know about politics came from his mother, Tammy Neal, who worked as a senior administrative officer (SAO) in Fort Liard and now holds a similar position in Jean Marie River, along with being a hamlet councillor in Enterprise.

"My mom has been an SAO for many years," Gauthier said. "So I kind of heard about politics here and there."

One of his own previous involvements with government was when he was about 16 and helped launch a petition against recreational funding cutbacks by the GNWT.

Looking back over his time on council, Gauthier said there have been some big projects, such as a municipal garage, an extension to the fire hall and the Enterprise Community Centre.

"I was part of that from top to bottom," he said of the new centre. "But I wouldn't mind seeing a little bit more activities for kids to do out here because it does get boring."

Originally from Kitchener, Ont., he has lived in the NWT since 2002 wherever his mother worked - Fort Liard, Fort Simpson, Jean Marie River and Enterprise since 2008.

Gauthier enjoys being on the hamlet council in Enterprise, a community of about 90 people near Hay River.

"Well, it's kind of interesting because there's so much to know and so much to learn," he said.

However, one thing he doesn't enjoy is the massive amount of reading he has to do to keep up to date on hamlet business.

"There's a lot of reading to do with this job and that's probably the most horrible part about it," he said.

It is particularly hard to get the time to do the required reading - an information package before each regular meeting - because he works in Hay River and is also a captain with the Enterprise Fire Department. In Hay River, he is in the third year of an apprenticeship as an auto body technician and refinisher at Klassic Auto Body Specialists Ltd.

Gauthier said the actual decision making as a councillor isn't so hard, since there are many rules on how funding is supposed to be used.

Overall, the role of a councillor is basically what he expected, he noted. "I knew there were going to be arguments. I knew there were going to be ups and downs."

Gauthier would encourage other young people to run for seats on their community councils.

"It's a great experience," he said. "It helps with your talking. It helps with everything almost."

Plus, it would get young people more involved and aware of what's going on in their communities, he said. "Everyone's input is always welcome, it's always needed and it's always helpful."

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