Parliamentary Tour Guiding Around Canada.

• Author: Tsap, Mariya-Kvitlana
• Position: Roundtable - Discussion

Tour guides at federal, provincial and territorial parliaments serve an important role as educators; sometimes, they are the first point of contact for Canadians, newcomers and tourists who are seeking to learn more about Canada's political system. In this roundtable discussion, chaired by Canadian Parliamentary Review intern Mariya-Kvitlana Tsap, seven tour guides and tour officers from British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec and the Parliament of Canada shared insights into their typical day on the job, some memorable personal anecdotes and their take on the most intriguing facts about their respective building and programming that might be of interest to visitors.

CPR: How would you describe a regular day at your job?

PCI: At Parliament no two days are ever the same because we have visitors from all over the globe. This makes for a unique tour experience every time. We also rotate through different positions within the team itself. Some days we are giving tours, other times we are greeting visitors outside and escorting them to the observation deck of the Peace Tower.

MN: My days vary from day to day, as well, but they also vary in terms of seasonality. During the summer we have our tour guide staff working. My job shifts from providing programming to supervising and training the tour guides. During the winter we have a smaller program where we provide school tours and administration around the office, develop new programming and conduct a lot of research. We try and gather as much information as we can about travelling exhibits and historical commemorative events during the year.

QC: At the National Assembly we offer tours to the public, staff, school groups and dignitaries during the sittings Monday to Friday and seven days a week in the summer. We are responsible for the scheduling and the distribution of the tour calendar to the MNAs and touristic partners. We also maintain the brochure displays and participate in different programs and activities such as the annual Open House on Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (June 24th).

NB: As a student tour guide, there are three of us working at the New Brunswick legislature this summer. There are a few scheduled tours but usually we provide tours as soon as people walk in, both in French and English.

CPR: What made you interested in the tour guiding profession or in politics and policy in general?

PC2: This is actually a very interesting question for me as I am a Modern Languages major and I didn't have an inherent interest in the political system in Canada until I found this opportunity. I thought this opportunity would be a great way to learn hands on about the political system. Diving in with both feet really encouraged me to turn my attention towards politics and it gave it a living face.

QC: I didn't have much interest in politics while growing up, although I had a little in university as some of my friends were studying politics. In 20071 followed the Quebec local tour guide program at Merici College and during this training we toured many sites and attractions--the National Assembly was one of them. After the tour, I told myself that I would finish my career as a tour guide there. It actually took me seven years to get the position.

MN: I actually stumbled on my job by accident. I graduated university with a science degree but during the summer months I would be working for the Provincial Parks System as a Park Entrepreneur doing public education. Once I graduated I was fortunate to apply and receive the position of a Tour Officer. I had always been interested in politics growing up, but I never imagined I would be teaching civics on a daily basis as a career.

CPR: What are some interesting questions you tend to get on a daily basis and how do you handle some tough political questions from time to time?

BC: I have worked both in the federal Parliament and in British Columbia legislature, yet the most commonly asked questions I receive are: "What's that church?"; "What's in that mall?"; or "Where do we check in for the hotel?" It seems that sometimes people walk over to this ornate building and they don't know what the building is. They tend to have...