Ben Homer-Dixon began paying attention to politics in 2016. While that may feel recent, it's worth noting he was 11 years old at the time.
Today, he's 20 and wrapping up his first year at the University of Victoria. While other students may be planning summer trips or internships, Homer-Dixon will be running as the Green Party candidate in the Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke riding.
While Homer-Dixon has long held ambition to enter into politics, it was not something he expected to come so soon.
"There was a lot of luck, there was a lot of being in the right place at the right time," he said. His journey began at a TEDx event at Royal Roads University, where Homer-Dixon experienced one of his proudest moments, giving a speech entitled 'Saving the World Isn't Someone Else's Problem.'
"It's the main thing that inspired me to go out there and talk to people and make my voice heard about things that matter to me."
The speech caught the attention of Green Party leader Elizabeth May around the time that the current ESS candidate had dropped out.
"They were looking for a new person, and I decided I would step up to fill the void," he said.
At UVic, Homer-Dixon studies geography, with a specific interest in physical geography.
"I'm very interested in the environment, I'm very interested in the ocean, I'm very interest in land forms. I'm interested in the processes that make our world turn literally and figuratively."
This interest not only motivated Homer-Dixon's academic career, but his Green Party debut.
"I felt an urge to step up to the plate and do my part protecting [the earth], especially with climate change being such a significant issue all around the world," he said.
"You see it a lot in British Columbia with the smoke we've been getting in the summers. That was probably the point when I realized, 'Oh this is real, and it can affect me."
Homer-Dixon says many of the challenges he has faced have come from a feeling of powerlessness he experienced among his peers.
"We can believe all the 'right things,' we can do everything right, we can make our voices heard. We can do everything we're supposed to be doing to make the world a better place, and it won't change anything. It's like we're just yelling into the air. It's not a great feeling to have," Homer-Dixon said.
"I want to be able to do something."
While being a 20-year-old political candidate has its challenges, like having to justify his capabilities and competency before even talking politics, it's something he finds essential.
"Younger generations are the ones who are going to be bearing the brunt of climate change, economic and geopolitical concerns," he said.
"I understand the apprehension that a guy in his 20s might not be most qualified to help run the country, but I do think it's important. Having youth voices, the future generations represented on a federal level, or a provincial level, or a municipal level, is especially now, absolutely crucial."
