A grade 11 student from St. Peter Secondary School in Peterborough could be on his way to the International Geography Olympiad this summer in Hong Kong.
Jake Douglas is one of 20 finalists in the Canadian Geographic Challenge and he’s hoping his study on green space in the city will win him the big prize.
“I’m really enjoying this, being left to my own devices and having the freedom to pursue something of specific interest to me,” he said.
Douglas is doing a survey of people who use the Parkway Trail and enjoy its green space.
Most people tell him they use it for running and cycling but one man said it was because it’s close to a McDonald’s restaurant on nearby Chemong Road.
The Parkway Trail is part of a 20-kilometre paved pathway system that winds through the Electric City.
But the word parkway has another meaning that stirs debate.
Local residents are split on the ongoing, 55-year-old debate about whether to turn part of the current trail for people into a major roadway for vehicles.
The issue is something Douglas is passionate about.
“Back in 2013, when I was 11 years old, I made a speech to city council to voice my concerns about the proposed plan. But that plan is dated and it was made at a time when transportation was really seen as how do we move cars. Now, I think in the year 2019 it’s about how do we move people,” said Douglas.
As for the contest, he has around five days to collect his data and submit his project to Canadian Geographic Challenge in Ottawa.
Then if he’s one of four chosen from the 19 other finalists, he’s off to Hong Kong for the big event in late July.