One of the youngest councillors in Canada, at 18, was just sworn in on Vancouver Island
He has spent the past few years serving customers at the Crossroads Pub and Restaurant in Sayward, B.C., but now Kohen Gilkin will begin serving the public in another way.
At 18 years of age, Gilkin has just been sworn in as a village councillor in the northern Vancouver Island municipality.
"People are looking at me and thinking there's new blood, he's got new ideas, he's open-minded to new things," Gilkin said Wednesday.
Gilkin was one of seven people vying for four positions for village council in the recent municipal elections. It turned out he was the top vote-getter.
"I was very shocked. At the end of the night when it called out 126 I was just... I was in awe, I was very happy and I want to thank everybody who did vote for me," he said.
The 18-year-old is the third generation of Gilkins to live in the Sayward valley and he believes he's ready to champion the area's economy, which is strong on logging, but he would also like to see more tourism.
"It's a beautiful town. I mean, you go around anywhere and you can stop and take pictures, so I think me focusing on tourism especially is a big one," he said.
Once he gets some experience under his belt, Gilkin can foresee himself running as a provincial or federal representative and is encouraging other young people to become involved in politics.
"It is time for the next generation to step up and take over where our grandparents and parents left off, and I really want to push forward and try to empower some of the younger people my age, a little bit older, a little bit younger, to get involved" he said.
Gilkin also knows he's entering politics at a time when many are fed up with those who hold official offices.
"I want to see transparency," he said. "I want to see transparency with politicians and the civilians, we need to just focus on what we were elected to do, what people have used their civic duty to do in electing us to voice their concerns."
Correction
An earlier version of this story misspelled Kohen Gilkin's last name. We regret the error.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.