Youth Goals for Recreation Programs Meeting

October 29^th, 2012

Meetings Notes

Last night, despite the storm, we had a really great meeting. About 20 people came representing Youthlink, the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union, the Laidlaw Foundation, the Toronto Youth Cabinet, the South Etobiocoke Youth Assembly, For Youth Initiative, CUPE Local 79, Social Planning Toronto and Public Interest. A big thanks to CUPE Local 79 for hosting the meeting in a great space!

Here is a quick summary of what we discussed…

What’s happening?

-          City is coming out with a 5-year plan about how they are going to provide recreation programs across the City on November 7^th, which will go to a Committee of Councillors on November 14^th.

-          It’s a great opportunity to recommend improvements to youth programming in recreation. It’s also important to push back against further cuts to services - like youth outreach workers, and higher fees for programs.

-          The recreationworks.ca campaign, being driven by Toronto Youth Cabinet, Social Planning Toronto, CUPE Local 79 and about 20 other community groups, is mobilizing support for better City investments in recreation and is focused on the upcoming service plan debate and the 2013 City Budget.

-          Youth issues have always been front and centre in this campaign, and now we need develop a youth focused set of recommendations and actions that are led by youth groups.

What do we want?

-          The City said they would engage half of the youth in Toronto through recreation, maybe they should make good on that promise.

-          We need to defend the Youth Outreach Program and stop increases in user fees for youth. There should be more youth outreach and fees for youth should be lower or not exist at all.

-          We need the City to listen to youth, and put programs and community centers where youth want and need them.

-          We as groups and individuals, have lots of ideas, and we can all get behind a few key goals so that our voices are stronger together.

How do we make it happen?

There was broad agreement to do the following:

-          Mobilize our friends, family and social networks to sign the petition at http://www.recreationworks.ca.

-          Develop a set of goals and targets for youth-centred recreation to put out to our networks before the release of the City’s plan on November 7^th.

-          Sign up to make deputations at the City’s Community Development and Recreation Committee on November 14^th.

-          Get the word out about defending the City’s Youth Outreach Workers with the youtube video done by ReMix and CUPE Local 79.

Next Steps

-          Public Interest will draft goals and targets and circulate them in the next couple of days for comment.

-          Petition drive will start this week.

-          We will use email to coordinate petition drive, finalizing of goals and targets, reaction and outreach around release of City’s plan and coordination of signing up to depute at the November 14^th City Committee meeting.

-          We will meet face-to-face again on November 12^th, 4:30pm – 6:30pm, at 34 St. Patrick Street, to review City’s plan in detail and prepare for November 14^th.

For more detailed notes: Read here —>