City of Powell River councillors heard a delegation on youth perspectives of the city during its last meeting before the election.
Shannon Bence presented the findings of her study called Powell River’s Youth Assessment Project: Developing as a Youth Friendly Community. She originally prepared the report for the Groundswell conference which was held earlier in the year.
Fifty-four grade 12 students participated in the study last year which asked them about what they liked and disliked about Powell River. Bence said the study came out of the recognition that there is a need for a youth perspective in city planning decisions.
“Typically, across Canada, lots of small communities are losing their youth,” Bence said. She explained that they generally leave after finishing high school and move to larger urban centres for more education. Few return to live in the communities where they grew up.
However, there are strong indicators that show if youth aged 12 to 18 establish strong connections with their community, the chances are greater that they will return, she added.
“As well, investing in amenities that make a community youth-friendly have been cited as attractive features that many young adults and families look for when deciding to relocate to a rural or small town community,” she said.
The purpose of the study was to assess the attractiveness of living in Powell River from a youth perspective, Bence said.
Bence’s study found that the majority of students felt strongly connected to the community and perceived Powell River as being rich in both natural amenities and community culture. Of those, students identified Willingdon Beach, Mowat Bay, multi-use trails and close proximity to these areas as things they liked most about Powell River. “They like to be in a community where there is a shared set of values, desirable recreational and leisure opportunities and family and friends,” she said.
The students also indicated a number of improvements which could be made to help Powell River further develop as a youth-friendly community, including increasing the number of informal places for youth to spend time hanging out, providing more recreational activities and creating a designated youth space.
“While this study largely focused on identifying opportunities for change and the areas that could be improved, it became evident that the majority of students strongly value Powell River’s community,” said Bence.
She suggested three recommendations in her report to further develop as a youth-friendly community, including using her study as a starting point in gaining a wider youth perspective and hosting a youth forum to further engage youth in their community.
“Powell River should celebrate its current successes and should be open toward the opportunities for change,” she said. “These findings paint a hopeful picture for Powell River’s future.”
