Town needs more youth programming, councillors suggest

Niagara-on-the-Lake town council has determined there is no need to focus on creating more programming for the local elderly population than what already exists.

While discussing the town’s newest strategic plan during last week’s council meeting, Coun. Sandra O’Connor made a motion to amend a recommendation to adopt the strategy, covering 2022 to 2027, to include additional programs for seniors, which was defeated in favour of more programming for youth.

Coun. Nick Ruller said while appreciating the intent to keep seniors in mind, he believes it’s younger Niagara-on-the-Lake residents who need more attention.

He pointed to what is available at the local community centre.

“There is a clear absence of any children’s programming,” said Ruller, adding that criticism from the public about a lack of things to do in town when it comes to activities offered by the municipality has already been received.

“We have heard over and over again from families in this community that there’s no programming for children,” he said, adding the town’s social media accounts are often a venue for sharing displeasure of what’s scheduled.

He said the town’s day camps are not what needs to be addressed, but offerings for an hour or a two at a time for young families, at places such as the community centre, need to be expanded.

“We are saturated with programs for other age groups, and there’s a clear gap,” said Ruller.

After the meeting, Ruller told The Local he recognizes the public library, also located at the community centre, offers programs for younger residents, but said scheduling of events should coincide with one another, such as programs for adults and children running simultaneously.

He said the municipality has “gone down a path where there’s a total lack of integration with different age groups.”

There is “some stuff” at the library, but “a lot of it is for very young children,” he said. “We need some variety for youth.”

On the library’s schedule for July, there are events scheduled Monday to Friday, such as Super Mario Club one day a week, for children aged four to six, as well as Pokemon Club, and other events for that age group. There are also activities for kids aged seven to 12, such as Summer Science.

Ruller is a father of four children aged between 10 and 13 years old.

He’d like to see more for the preteen kids at the community centre, something he hopes will result from the town recently creating a new full-time recreation co-ordinator position.

He pointed to the July schedule at the community centre, saying that kids aren’t interested in zumba, yoga and euchre.

There are 29 programs listed for July 2023 at the community centre, and it appears Robo Think Niagara is the only one that could apply to younger people.

Others include lawn bowling, line dancing, tai chi, bridge, as well as table tennis and badminton for seniors.

“If we aren’t specifically ensuring that we’re meeting the needs of young families, they will leave,” said Ruller, who grew up in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and moved back with his young family about 10 years ago.

Minimal recreational opportunities for youth offered by the town has been a “sticking point” since then.

“For the last 10 years, there has not been significant programming,” he said.

Addressing O’Connor’s concerns that more for seniors needs to be added to the strategic plan’s community pillars, CAO Marnie Cluckie suggested something could be included for the older population in the advocacy and government relations portion of the municipality’s framework, under a housing and healthcare section.

Coun. Maria Mavridis didn’t agree with adding language related to healthcare and housing — it’s “redundant,” and doesn’t apply to the amendment O’Connor had put up for consideration, she said.

She also agreed that town programs are mostly aimed at older people, saying they are “very geared to 50-plus.”

In its report, staff says the strategic plan is a “roadmap for success to ensure decisions made today set the course for the desired future of our community.”

It has two ‘lenses,’ a diversity, equity and inclusion lens, and an environmental stewardship lens.

There are three community pillars and a foundation pillar, which “supports the community pillars,” reads the report approved by council Tuesday.

Staff recommended the term of this 2022 to 2026 plan be extended to 2027 to “provide adequate time for the next term of council to develop their strategic plan process and permit staff to continue working on multi-year initiatives throughout elections and council onboarding.”

Coun. Adriana Vazzari, a member of the library board and mother of four children ages six to 11, said she also believes more needs to be offered when it comes to recreational activities.

“I’m absolutely in agreeance that we need more programming for children and youth, and families — and that there is a gap,” she told The Local.

The library has a lot of “excellent” programs, but they mostly have to do with arts and crafts, and literary skills like reading and writing.

“I do feel there’s a gap in other activities,” she said.

She is pleased the town has hired a new recreation program co-ordinator and commends the local government for working to address a need.

“I am very confident this is going in the right direction,” she said.

Rome D’Angelo, director of operations with the town, said improvements will be made through the recent hiring of a new recreational program co-ordinator.

“This addition to our team will enable us to expand and enhance engagement and programming opportunities for families, youth and children in Niagara-on-the-Lake,” said D’Angelo.

“With this new position, we now have the chance to grow our programming and offer exciting programming opportunities, events and activities for young families, youth and children,” he added.

These new opportunities will support the town’s popular summer and winter camps, aquatics programming and various seasonal initiatives.

“Our aim is to ensure that great programming is available to all residents, regardless of age, at our community centre,” he said.

The town plans to conduct public outreach to gather feedback on desirable programming enhancements specific to young families, children and youth.

However, for now, if residents have specific program ideas or initiatives they would like to see considered, they are invited to send them to [email protected], said D’Angelo.

The town issued a news release Monday, saying council has approved the strategic plan with goals and priorities that will shape the future of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and that it continues to be in effect until 2027.