Editorials
May 08, 2008 07:07 AM
This is youth week in Whitchurch-Stouffville.
It’s a collection of events taking place across Stouffville for young people 13 years and older.
Two nights of auditions lead up to Friday’s talent show at Latcham Hall. There’s a scavenger hunt tomorrow.
There was bowling and skating earlier in the week.
Thank the Mayor’s youth council for throwing the events. The council is a holdover from the administration of former mayor Sue Sherban.
It holds regular meetings to discuss youth issues, under the leadership of the town’s leisure services department. The events are planned by youth for youth, as the motto goes. Still, it was not enough for some. It never has been.
A letter to the editor in Saturday’s Sun-Tribune spoke to the abundance of activities for children and families, while a dearth exists for teenagers.
Some things don’t change. For at least 25 years, the youth of Stouffville has asked for places of their own. They’ve wanted a movie theatre, shopping mall, dance club and arcade. They’ve brought up in letters to the paper, at meetings specifically called on the subject and at election forums.
A quarter century later and there have been some changes.
A youth centre, The Ice Box, was attempted during the 1990s in the lounge of the Stouffville Arena. In spite of paid staff, renovations and numerous town dollars, it was a resounding flop. Teenagers, particularly older ones, stayed away in droves.
We’re still without a movie house and shopping opportunities will not likely arrive in the form of a mall. Everyone, everywhere will have to get used to big box shopping.
But there are fitness centres, private and public, an indoor swimming pool, a skate park and a much wider variety of restaurants.
There is also improved public transit for those wanting access to the malls, movies and other amenities of southern York Region and Toronto.
Still, small-town life is not easy on teenagers, especially if you don’t take part in hockey or other mainstream activities.