Don’t expect any farmer’s fields to be taken over by long-haired idealists or any dance sensations to sweep the nation anytime soon, but a new group for youth on the Sunshine Coast is starting a movement to inspire the in crowd.
Voice on the Coast is based out of the lower Sunshine Coast, committed to promoting the area as “a place where the younger generation is excited to move, work and live.” A group of five people that has now expanded to eight have been working on the project for about a year. Through a number of avenues the group wants to change the image of the coast for youth and help the area to embrace, promote and create youth culture.
The group is taking a three-pronged approach to jump-start youth in the area and have their needs, concerns and wants better catered to. First, the organization will work as an advocate for young people, getting involved with local politics to act on behalf of the coast’s youth. Second, the group is working on a website to centralize local online culture, provide a single location for information on events and entertainment and provide a forum for discussions. Third, the group wants to organize and promote culture in the area by creating or sponsoring events.
The first event is the Fool Hardy Party! taking place on Friday, April 1 in Roberts Creek. Manzanita Restaurant is presenting the Fool Hardy Party! in Powell River on Saturday, April 2, at the future home of Townsite Brewery (or the Old Post Office, for those not in the know). Providing musical entertainment for the evening will be Vancouver based The Colorifics, Powell River’s own Slim Milkie and Comox Valley roots-folk artist Luke Guthrie and his band. Proceeds from the Powell River show will go toward the breakfast program at Henderson Elementary School.
David Hallstead, Voice on the Coast entertainment chair, moved to Gibsons from Winnipeg at 27 years old and noticed right away the difference in youth culture. Rather than just letting it happen, Hallstead realized how intentional youths have to be in this area to find likeminded people from the same generation to hang out with. Overcoming social isolation and asking anyone who seems interesting whether they want to get together is a mainstay for youth here. Although he thinks things are picking up, Hallstead hopes that Voice of the Coast can help that process.
“So often the complaint I get from people is that there’s nothing going on, to which my response these days is ‘BS’,” said Hallstead. “There is a lot going on but it’s getting that word out there.”
For now the group is intent on promoting one quality event per month and hosting one gathering per month to informally discuss issues and bat around ideas. The main goal is to rebrand the coast as more than just a retirement community and instead as a viable and vibrant place for youth culture.
“It is a wonderful place to retire, I’d love to retire here,” said Hallstead. “But there’s also a growing community of young adults who are coming back...This younger 25-to-35 demographic is here very intentionally. We want to be here. But we still desire a lot of the things we lack from the city.”
The intention is to establish more Powell River involvement in the movement and hopefully soon host a gathering in the area and find some representation for Powell River youth. The group is hoping to take a “street team” approach to promoting culture and wants people to help put up posters, organize events and collect feedback for the organization.
Anyone looking for more information or who is interested in getting involved can email either [email protected] or [email protected], or check the Voice on the Coast Facebook page. Voice on the Coast website is in development and organizers plan to have it posted sometime in the fall. Tickets for Fool Hardy Party! are $18 in advance from Ecossentials, Rodmay Liquor Store, Manzanita Restaurant and River City Coffee or online.
