A delegation from the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) presented its priorities to city council last night and found out some were already in line with the city’s plans.
Zack Bilash, Quinn Coleman and Nisha Nijjar addressed council on topics of sidewalk repair, softball field repairs and more organized events.
Bilash said his concern was the condition of the sidewalks, some of which needed to be repaired.
For example, on Eby Street past Scott Ave., the sidewalks have become very neglected and a bit of a hazard, he said.
“It’s a bit of a hazard to seniors, well not just seniors, everyone. It’s gotten to the point where anyone with a walker can’t go out because they are going to hurt themselves so [they’re] losing accessibility,” he said.
Bilash said he was on the Caledonia running team and there were several roads that they had to avoid or runners could roll an ankle.
He ran in the Vancouver Sun Run last weekend and thought it really unites a city and maybe the City of Terrace could fund a similar event as it’s an easy way to get a large number of people out to participate in a recreational activity.
“You really only need a pair of shoes to participate,” he said.
“I think if the city would fund one, it might unite us better in the community.”
Quinn Coleman said the softball fields on the southside and by the hospital weren’t in the best shape.
The doors on the dugouts are falling off and last year, teams couldn’t close the doors which wasn’t safe because a ball can come in and hit someone, she said.
The benches are falling apart, there is no grass, it’s all gravel which gets muddy and messy in the rain and isn’t very much fun to use, she added.
Nisha Nijaar suggested more activities and facilities for young people to enjoy every day which was better for kids growing up.
Mayor Carol Leclerc agreed, saying it could mean less time in front of a computer screen.
She added some of those items were already in the budget and asked the city’s director of public works Rob Schibli to talk about them.
Schibli said last week council added paving of Adam St. walkway as an additional sidewalk and earlier in the budget discussion was the sidewalk maintenance budget that focused on Eby St.
Another sidewalk that could really use attention is Thomas St. in the vicinity of Uplands school, he added.
Schibli added he was pretty sure he saw the softball dugouts in the city’s five-year budget plan.
Council received the correspondence from the youth advisory committee and referred it to staff.
The youth committee’s list of priorities submitted to council is as follows:
The City of Terrace Youth Advisory Committee has identified the following top four priorities for Terrace 2017:
1) Improvements to the softball fields;
2) Sidewalk repair and more sidewalks;
3) More organized events such as paintball, laser tag, or volleyball; and
4) More outdoor recreational facilities.
