Councillor Blog September 2024
Welcome back fellow residents of White City (and those reading from the surrounding area) for the Spetember 2024 edition of the White City Councillor Blog. This month’s blog is all about the Town of White City Youth Advisory Committee.
As a member of the White City Council, I am thrilled to share some exciting developments from our Youth Advisory Committee (YAC). Our community has always valued the voices of its residents, and now more than ever, we are making sure our youth are heard, engaged, and empowered. The YAC is a vital initiative that encourages youth participation in municipal matters, helping to shape the future of White City.
Youth Advisory Committee: Shaping the Future
The White City Youth Advisory Committee was created with the purpose of stimulating and promoting youth interest in local governance and community issues. Our mission is to educate and empower our young residents, ensuring they have a platform to provide insights, recommendations, and innovative ideas that directly impact them. Through the YAC, youth can voice their thoughts on what makes White City a great place to live and how we can continue to grow and improve.
Applications are now open for the 2024-2025 Youth Advisory Committee, and we invite all interested youth to apply. This is an excellent opportunity for young people to become more involved in their community, gain valuable experience, and make a real difference. During the previous term, our dedicated youth members developed a Youth Strategic Plan and laid the groundwork for an exciting new project: the Youth Activity Centre.
Youth Activity Centre: A Place to Connect and Play
The Youth Activity Centre (YAC) is an ambitious project that emerged from the ideas and efforts of our first Youth Advisory Committee. This project is all about creating a fun, safe, and engaging space for the youth of White City to connect, socialize, and stay active. The proposed centre will feature mini golf as its main attraction, alongside a canteen (affectionately dubbed "The YAC Shack"), picnic tables, and a versatile sport court. Additional features will include rentals for lawn games like cornhole, bocce ball, and spike ball.
But this project is more than just a place to hang out. It’s about fostering community spirit, encouraging outdoor activities, and providing meaningful opportunities for our youth, such as part-time jobs. The Youth Activity Centre will be a unique addition to our region, offering something truly special for our older youth demographic.
Building Our Youth’s Future, One Step at a Time
The Youth Advisory Committee has carefully considered the timeline for the Youth Activity Centre. The first phase of the project will focus on constructing the mini golf course, canteen, and rental facilities, along with picnic tables for gatherings. Following that, we plan to develop the sport court, which will support activities like volleyball, basketball, and soccer. In the long term, there’s even potential for a second sport court to be added, depending on community interest and usage.
As for the location, we’re exploring options on the east side of White City. While the Town Centre was considered, we believe it’s important to spread out recreational spaces across our community.
Funding the Future
Of course, a project of this scale requires financial support. We are committed to exploring various funding avenues, including fundraising, sponsorships, and grants. The involvement of the community will be crucial, and we hope to see everyone come together to bring this vision to life. Stay tuned for future fundraising opportunities including raffles and events.
The Youth Activity Centre is more than just a project; it’s a testament to what can happen when our young residents are given a voice and the resources to make their ideas a reality. I’m excited to see what the future holds for White City’s youth and how this project will contribute to the vibrant community we all cherish.
If you know a young person who would be interested in joining the Youth Advisory Committee, or if you’d like to get involved in supporting the Youth Activity Centre, I encourage you to reach out. Together, we can make White City an even better place for our youth to grow, learn, and thrive.
If you have any questions, have a comment, want more information, or want to suggest a topic for a future blog please email townoffice@whitecity.ca or call 306-781-2355 – we look forward to hearing from you!
- Councillor Andrew Boschman