Campbell River lacks entertainment for our youth.
There are not enough places for teenagers to safely and affordably spend their free time, according to some Carihi students.
“There is no outlet for adolescent entertainment without straining us financially,” says Hailey Rutherford. “We could go to the movies or bowling but it’s really expensive and a lot of youth don’t have jobs.”
Many teenagers in our town feel the same way. Their options revolve around staying home and playing video games or spending Friday nights partying.
There is no easy solution to this problem; however the city of Campbell River is working on it. The vision of a youth centre originated from the city’s Youth Action Committee (YAC) three years ago.
“YAC came up with the youth centre because as a group we felt that the youth of Campbell River need an inexpensive, safe and welcoming place to go,” says Alysha Wall, a member of the Youth Action Committee. “We decided as a group that we would survey a portion of youth within our middle and high schools.”
The survey asked teenagers what they would like to see Campbell River’s youth centre look like. The feedback revealed just how much Campbell River needs a youth centre. The majority of teens that were surveyed felt that they needed a space where they could spend their time without feeling obliged to pay for anything.
“The recreation department has been working throughout the year to prepare a comprehensive business case for a youth centre in Campbell River,” says Kevin Elmore, Program Coordinator. “I feel that having a youth centre in Campbell River would be a great asset as it will provides a safe environment for youth to interact and grow.”
The city hopes to have the comprehensive business case presented to council in the New Year but if it is passed, it will still be a number of years until we see a youth centre in Campbell River; however it’s great to see the city taking the firsts steps.
