Youth & Being a Good Citizen

It depends.

There is no law that requires volunteers to be a certain age. In general, the age requirement for volunteers is left up to the organizations themselves. Instead of being an age issue, it is a question of whether the volunteer is able to carry out the tasks they are given and the level of supervision that the volunteer requires. That said, since the agreement to volunteer is in the nature of a contract, most organizations will require that anyone under the age of 18 provide a consent form signed by their parent or guardian.

Last Reviewed: November 2019

Canadian Blood Services accepts donors aged 17 and older. For more information, see the Canadian Blood Services website.

Last Reviewed: November 2019

To get a passport on your own, you must be at least 16 years old.

If you are under 16 years, your parent or guardian must apply for your passport for you.

For more information, see the Government of Canada’s webpage on passports.

Last Reviewed: November 2019

You must be 18 years of age.

Last Reviewed: November 2019

You must be 18 years old to run as a political candidate in a federal or provincial or territorial election.

Last Reviewed: November 2019