Toronto youth advocates reflect on Justin Trudeau's changed legacy

A decade ago, when Justin Trudeau talked about climate change, reconciliation, feminism and smoking weed — a lot of millennials were on board.

Today, youth advocates say broken promises, a lack of employment opportunities and a housing crisis have created a wave of distrust, something that will be difficult for any new federal leader to repair moving forward.

"Right now, young people do not believe that Canada is a place where they're able to thrive and succeed," said Stephen Mensah, executive director of the Toronto Youth Cabinet. 

"Unfortunately, a lot of young people have lost hope for the future."

Trudeau's legacy around youth engagement is notable, Mensah said, including initiatives like the Prime Minister's Youth Council, Canada's first State of Youth report and the National School Food Program, which he says demonstrated a commitment to young Canadians' well-being. 

Trudeau being younger than previous leaders, having a strong online presence and making commitments to electoral reform also contributed to his popularity in 2015, said Karim Bardeesy, executive director of the Dais, a public policy and leadership think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University.

"The attraction to Trudeau at the time was based on both political interests and cultural interests. The way he was campaigning was meeting what young people needed at the time," Bardeesy said. "I definitely saw this in my students."

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However, Mensah said, times have changed.

"We've witnessed a significant shift in young voters' priorities," he said. "Today's youth are facing unprecedented economic challenges."

A turning point in 2016 saw protests against Trudeau, reflecting a growing discontent over a lack of Liberal action on affordable education and jobs for young Canadians. The latest available Statistics Canada data for April 2024 shows Canada's youth unemployment rate was 12.8 per cent, the highest since July 2016 — excluding the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.

Another important shift happened during the pandemic, Bardeesy said — a time when youth experienced a loss of education, connection and the economic pressures compounded.

"The policy responses that Trudeau had in 2015 were no longer the ones that young people were looking for," he said.

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Christine Erhirhie is a first-year student at the University of Toronto Mississauga who has been searching for a job for weeks.

Marwah Azizi, a master's candidate at York University, says the prime minister's resignation presents as an opportunity to demand even more accountability and representation from leadership, regardless of the party.

"If 2015 taught us anything, it is that youth voices have the power to shape outcomes and policy reforms," she said.

"I want  young people to maintain that momentum and push for leadership that reflects our realities and aspirations, and make sure that we actually voice the concerns that are happening in our communities."

Looking ahead to the next election, advocates believe young voters will play an important role in determining Canada's next Prime Minister — but these same voters want to see more concrete policy solutions that resonate with them.

"I don't want to have that worry of whether I am ever going to be able to afford a house or even just be able to access mental health services, which is such a huge crisis right now," Azizi said.