After four years of serving the Métis Nation of B.C. (MNBC) as the provincial youth minister, Cassidy Caron will be stepping down from her appointment this fall.
The 28-year-old Rosslander turned Lower Mainland resident has recently begun pursuing a Masters of Community Development online through the University of Victoria (UVic) .
Soon, she will be relocating to Huntsville, Ontario with her fiancé to study remotely where the couple has bought a home.
“It was four years of my life,” Caron said about the appointment. “As a young person, that’s a really long time to dedicate to the position. I’m somewhat sad to be stepping down from the position and also really excited about how it’s going to evolve. In the last four years, we’ve created so many ways for young people to get engaged in opportunities. When we created those opportunities, all kinds of people started stepping out of the woodwork, wanting to participate.”
Her goal in completing graduate studies at UVic is to build upon her existing skills as an Indigenous consultant so that she can further support the citizens of the Métis nation.
Caron remains optimistic about working behind the scenes in provincial and federal government going forward.
“My goal of doing my masters is to continue to work with Métis nation toward self-government,” she said. “Rather than taking a politically elected position, I hope to do more strategic relationship building and supporting work in the background of everything that’s happening right now.”
However, Caron was retrospective about the opportunity and wished this year’s delegates the best of luck.
She urges prospective candidates in this year’s MNBC election to remain calm and to stay true to their roots.
“What I’d say for people running is to really remember where you came from, what your roots are and really reflect on the reasons you’re running for the youth chair spot. It’s really important to have the Métis youth at the centre of your heart when you’re trying to create and foster a space for young people to be proud about being Métis,” said Caron. “The heart of it is to really understand your motivations for finding the role. Some advice for whoever does win the role, just remember: you don’t have to do it alone. The more people involved is for the better of the nation.”
She encourages the successful candidate to collaborate with their peers going forward.
In parting ways with the role and opting out of running during this election, Caron thanked the Kootenay communities for their ongoing support and the opportunity to represent youth at the provincial level.
“I really want to thank the Kootenay community for all of their support,” she concluded. “It’s my home community, and I always felt that I had a lot of support from the Kootenay communities, and I really want to thank them for their support.”
