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Hockey players skated into the political arena as pages by Herb Garbutt Oakville Beaver Staff 5 | Thursday, April 9, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Each year, about 140 students are accepted from thousands of applicants from across Ontario. But on a road trip to a hockey game in Ancaster, two of them were riding in the backseat of the same car. That's where Noah Westwater first told his Oakville Rangers' teammate Vaughan Courage about the legislative page program. Noah, a Grade 8 student at Maple Grove Public School, was midway through his four-week term as page and told his friend how much he was enjoying it. Vaughan applied and was accepted for a winter term. The experience gave the hockey teammates a unique insight into how government operates. "It was interesting seeing how everything works," said Vaughan, a Grade 8 student at West Oak Public School. "It was a lot different than I expected and it was more interesting actually doing it instead of just learning about it." The process began with the Westwaters winning a day with Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn at a figure skating competition. They sat in on question period and had lunch with the Oakville MPP , where he explained what he does and mentioned the page program. Noah applied, submitting the required 750word essay on experience and achievements that demonstrated leadership and why the candidate would make a good page. Noah demonstrated his dedication by run- ning a half marathon when he was 12 while Vaughan detailed his volunteer work with his family's annual Courage Polar Bear Dip. Noah was accepted but soon found out a page's work begins before even setting foot in Queen's Park. The pages are sent packages two weeks before they start with pictures of all 107 MPPs. Pages had to learn which riding the MPPs represented and where they sat in the legislature. Noah said the task seemed intimidating. To memorize the MPPs, he laid out the photos on the kitchen table, arranging them as they would sit in the legislature. His parents also quizzed him over dinner and on the way to hockey games. It proved to be an effective method, so he shared it with Vaughan before he started his term. While some pages from further away stay downtown, Noah and Vaughan commuted, so they were on the GO train by 7 a.m. "I liked having the opportunity to go to Toronto every day. It gives you some independence," Noah said. "The first couple of days it was hard to get used to, but then you get into a routine." In the legislature, pages delivered documents and messages to MPPs. The one thing Noah wasn't prepared for was question period. "I was surprised how heated it got," he said, "and how rude (MPPs) were to each other." Still, Vaughan said, it was very informative. "It was surprising all the stuff they talk about. There were a lot of things I didn't even know about," he said. "I learned a lot about our province." Noah said the experience was also valuable in teaching how to present himself, to act professionally and make a good first impression. Between the morning session and question period, pages worked on schoolwork or took a break in a lounge designated for them. They also had an additional session with a page teacher on topics such as critical thinking and had to do multi-media presentations. Pages alternated between long and short days. On a short day, they could be home by 6 p.m. but on the long days it was often 7:30 p.m. Often they would arrive home and head straight to hockey practice or a game. They didn't mind the long hours and said it gave them an appreciation for the work MPPs do. And despite enjoying the experience, neither sees a career in politics in his future. 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