The CNGPM team has now had a chance to review everyone’s application video and online activity. We are very impressed by the breadth and range of the application pool. Thank you for letting us get to know you as you share your views on Canada's future direction. We are now beginning our work in earnest towards selecting our semi-finalists and final four.

Up to this point we have been watching with great interest the responses to the Questions of the Day, the Video Responses and the activity on your YouTube Channels and on Facebook. Now that we have closed the application period and we have a final number of applicants, we are issuing one of two final challenges that will help us determine the semi-finalists.

Challenge #1: Community Engagement and an Advocate

Go out into the community of your choice and raise awareness for your One Great Idea for Canada. We want to see if you can walk your talk in the world. How you do that is up to you. You could organize a protest, write an article for a paper, ask a neighborhood to shut their lights off for a day, create a petition or have a pancake breakfast to raise money for a charity. We are putting no limits on how you raise awareness - just be creative, be responsible with your actions and your time, and be heard in your community. We also want you to get an Advocate. It could be anyone from your mayor to your mother or beyond. Your Advocate should state in one paragraph why they think YOU would be Canada's Next Great Prime Minister AND, also in one paragraph, they should describe/vouch for what you did in your community to raise awareness for your One Great Idea. They can do this either in writing (send an e-mail to matthew_barrington@cbc.ca) or by a video post.

DEADLINE: Please have your event and Advocate statement complete and sent to us by January 2, 2008 at midnight.

P.S. We want to film as many of your community actions as possible across the country. Send us an e-mail asap with the date of your event or describe what you are doing and we'll do our best to send a CBC crew to capture your efforts.

The challenge has been set. How you choose to respond is in your hands and we are excited to see what you come up with!

Have a great December and Happy New Year!

All Best,
Canada's Next Great Prime Minister Team