Brian Mulroney’s portrait. Photo Credits: Patrick Hamilton
During a trip to Ottawa, I had the opportunity to tour Parliament with MP Jessica Fancy.
It was my first time seeing Parliament Hill in person, so I was curious to see what happened behind the scenes. It was Parliament’s first day back in session after the summer break, and there was a real energy throughout the building. Everyone seemed to be doing something and everyone had somewhere to be.
As we made our way through the halls, Fancy showed me the portraits of Canada’s prime ministers and pointed out some of the “Easter eggs” hidden in a few of them. They were the type of details I probably would have walked right past without ever noticing.
Along the way, I met MPs from different parts of Canada and saw the areas where MPs work and take breaks between meetings and their time in the House. There was always something happening. People were coming and going, talking with colleagues, preparing for meetings and moving through to the next part of their day.
During the tour, I got to watch a press release being recorded live. It was interesting to see the work happening in front of me rather than only seeing the finished announcement afterward.
One of the things that struck me most was how so much of the activity felt surprisingly ordinary. Between the historic rooms and portraits were people simply going about a busy day. Seeing that everyday side of Parliament gave me a different perspective on a place that can often seem so formal and distant.
In the middle of all that activity, Fancy sat down with me to talk about her path to Parliament and what the job has been like. It was a chance to step away from the busy halls for a few minutes and hear about the person behind the role.
Growing up on a mushroom farm in Caledonia, Fancy went on to become an educator, teaching math and English, primarily to middle-school students. Her work in education and community outreach eventually led her into politics. Now, her days include committee meetings, time in Parliament and meetings with other MPs, while weekends are spent back home in her riding.
We also talked about getting involved in your own community. Fancy encouraged people to start locally, whether that means attending municipal council meetings, learning how decisions are made, or finding something they care about and speaking up for it.
“Find your passion and advocate for it,” Fancy said.
After spending the day seeing Parliament from the inside, I came away with a better sense of how much happens beyond what we see on television. There are meetings, conversations, decisions and a constant flow of people through the halls. At the centre of it all is the work MPs do on behalf of the communities they represent.
Photo Credits: Patrick Hamilton