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Inuvik girl chosen as a page
Youth heading to legislative assembly

T. Shawn Giilck
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, February 21, 2013

INUVIK
An Inuvik youth is being paged by the legislative assembly.

Lauren Mariam Rayna Cockney is heading to Yellowknife from Feb. 24 to the Feb. 28 to serve as a legislative page during the 17th sitting.

The shy East Three student declined to sit down with the Inuvik Drum for a one-on-one interview, but agreed to answer questions via e-mail.

"I decided to apply for the Legislative Assembly Page Program because I wanted to learn more about being a page," she said. "I saw it on TV and was curious on what they do."

So she put in her application papers and was a little surprised to be accepted into the program

"I don't know anything about the government system, but I'm looking forward to learning about it and sharing with other high school students on what I've learned," Cockney said. "(I want to learn) from just being there and seeing the MLAs and what they do."

The page program is sponsored by the GNWT. Yellowknife-area students apply via their school, and the administration chooses a student. Only one school is chosen to provide students per session.

Outside of the city, students must contact their local MLA. In Lauren's case, that's Robert McLeod.

"They will be training me," she said.

Cockney wasn't entirely sure of just what her duties will entail

"I'm to serve as a page and play a vital role in the smooth flow of the chamber business for the Inuvik Twin Lakes MLA," she said.

Pages are paid $9 an hour for an average workday of at least six hours. The legislature usually sits in the afternoon and into the evening, although on Fridays the hours are typically 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pages are expected to attend school in the morning. Uniforms are provided for them.

It will be her first time in Yellowknife.

To help pay for the trip, Cockney has been using social media, namely Facebook, to raise funds.

Her mother, Doreen, said she's proud of Lauren.

"It will be nice for her to make Inuvik proud," she said.

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