Canada should give young people a year to serve, and a reason to stay hopeful
In uncertain times, nations rediscover themselves by building. Canada now faces that moment again. The question is what we choose to build next.
Canada should introduce a voluntary national service year.
In a recent speech, Prime Minister Mark Carney argued that Canada must rediscover its identity as a nation of builders. Earlier generations delivered the transcontinental railway, the St. Lawrence Seaway, and universal health care. Today, amid geopolitical tension, economic competition, and climate risk, the challenge is deciding what comes next. A national service year would be a powerful place to start.
The concept is simple. Canadians aged 18 to 30 could complete a paid year of national service across multiple streams.
Participants could support community organizations—assisting seniors, newcomers, and youth—or work on climate resilience and emergency preparedness. Some might choose to serve with the Canadian Armed Forces.
In return, they would earn a living wage, gain practical training, and receive tangible benefits such as tuition grants, recognized credentials, apprenticeship pathways, or housing incentives. The program would be voluntary.
The goal is not to dictate what young Canadians owe their country, but to demonstrate a national commitment to their potential. It is a model of reciprocity in which service is matched by opportunity.
Critics may frame national service as coercive or exploitative. A well-designed program would do the opposite; it would offer choice, flexibility, and career acceleration through real-world experience.
Youth employment makes the case urgent. Roughly 13 per cent of Canadians aged 15 to 24 were unemployed in 2025—nearly double the national rate—with many more underemployed or stuck in precarious work. A service year would provide meaningful employment and a bridge into the labour market at a critical stage.
A national service program could train thousands of young people in construction, emergency management, health support, and technology—the skills needed to build housing, strengthen disaster response, and expand economic capacity. Linked to skilled trades and apprenticeships, it could accelerate pathways to Red Seal certification while addressing labour shortages.
It would also strengthen national resilience. As Canada modernizes its military and expands defence capacity, a service year could create a pool of Canadians trained in logistics, cyber operations, and emergency response.
But the case is not only economic; it is social. Canada faces a growing crisis of loneliness. Nearly one in four young people report feeling lonely often or always, with well-documented consequences for mental and physical health. The economic costs are significant, with mental illness draining billions annually through health care and lost productivity.
A national service year would counter that isolation by giving young Canadians something increasingly rare: a shared mission. Working together on disaster preparedness, environmental restoration, or community services builds bonds that digital life cannot replicate. Purpose and contribution remain among the strongest predictors of long-term well-being.
Many young people already take a “gap year,” often to recover from burnout or save money. Yet, these years are typically unstructured, offering limited long-term benefit. Other countries have turned this pause into opportunity through structured service programs that provide experience, purpose, and connection. Canada can do the same by transforming a gap into a bridge between education and meaningful work.
Communities would benefit, as well. Charities, food banks, housing organizations, and environmental groups are stretched thin. A national service program would inject energy and talent where it is most needed, while strengthening civic life.
It would also connect Canadians across regions. Participants could help rebuild after floods in Atlantic Canada, support wildfire mitigation in British Columbia, contribute to housing projects in growing cities, or assist health initiatives in northern and Indigenous communities. In a country as vast as ours, shared service could strengthen national cohesion.
Canada would not be starting from scratch. Existing initiatives such as the Canada Service Corps provide a foundation, but what is missing is scale and coherence.
This nation is not a finished project. It is shaped by each generation’s willingness to contribute. If we want young people to believe in the country’s future, we should invite them to help build it.
A voluntary national service year would give young Canadians purpose, opportunity, and connection, while helping Canada meet the economic, social, and environmental challenges ahead.
Independent Senator Farah Mohamed represents Ontario in the Red Chamber.
The Hill Times