Moosomin elects 20-year-old to town council, years after the town helped his family fight deportation order

At 20 years old, Victor Santos Cardoza has made history as the youngest person to ever be elected to council in his new hometown.

Santos Cardoza said his love for the community is what inspired him to run as a councillor in Moosomin, Sask., which is about 20 kilometres inside the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border. 

"My family back home were very community driven and I believe I inherited those values," Santos Cardoza said. "There was a desire to give back to [the] community of Moosomin that helped me and my family many years ago."

Santos Cardoza said he owes everything to the small town and that without their support he would not be in Canada today.

His family was given a two-week deportation notice to return to Honduras in 2017. 

Although the family was new to Moosomin, Santos Cardoza said the community rallied behind them and advocated for the family to stay through various fundraising initiatives, a circling petition and organizing a letter-writing campaign.

"They vouched for us to stay and here we are today," he said. "It's all for one and one for all right here in Moosomin."

The entire family now holds Canadian citizenship.

Santos Cardoza already has a long history of being involved in local politics. He was the first junior councillor to ever be appointed to Moosomin. He said the experience exposed him to the challenges of what goes on behind the scenes at council, and that his time in that role prepared him for this opportunity.

"That was a really eye opening experience," Santos Cardoza said. "The relationships I established within my time as a youth counsellor were influential in my decision to run for councillor."

In his time outside of politics, Santos Cardoza is apprenticing full-time to be a carpenter and get his red seal certification. He is learning the trade in Moosomin with the help of a local contractor. 

WATCH | What inspired Victor Santos Cardoza to run for town council: 

Santos Cardoza said there is a lack of young perspectives on councils and that he saw an opportunity to be that voice. 

"I thought maybe there was an opportunity there for me to bridge different generations and hopefully get our youth involved more," said Santos Cardoza. "I have plans to work and learn alongside many of our important figures here in our community."