SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER: Exploring the relationship between St. Albert teens and their community

As the school year begins to wind down, many students eagerly await that extraordinary time of year called summer vacation. Looking to take a break from homework, tests, teachers and waking up early, many teens hope to fill their precious vacation days with a robust summer bucket list. However, for many young people, how they spend their free time is often a double-edged sword—criticized by society for staying indoors glued to their screens, but also looked at with suspicion when out together gathering in public spaces. With summer around the corner and approximately 8,200 St. Albert tweens and teens looking for something to do, what expectations and stereotypes do they face in our community? As a young person, what is there to do in St. Albert?

“But There’s Nothing to Do…”

At one time or another, most parents have heard this. But hyperbole aside, is there any validity to that sentiment? Living in St. Albert, if you’re not involved in sports (or a similar organized activity) or don’t have the ability to drive yourself into Edmonton to access amenities there, it may start to feel like, yes, there’s nothing to do. This sentiment was echoed by a group of 25 St. Albert area teens who were interviewed for the purpose of this article.

Overwhelmingly, the teens interviewed expressed that there were not enough youth-friendly things to do in St. Albert, though about three-quarters of them did say they are involved in extra-curricular activities outside of school. The problem, they point out, is finding something that is actually fun or interesting to them versus something their parents want them to do. For other teens, logistics or expense is the reason they do not participate in organized activities. Whatever the reason, the common denominator seems to be this: many kids face a lot of unstructured free time in the summer. Add to the mix the reality that many parents and guardians work outside the home, and you have a group of teens with unsupervised free time on their hands. Danielle Hooper, a local mom of a 13-year-old, says, “It’s more of a concern for me as she gets older. It helps that she’s very open and has good friends. I wish we had a movie theatre though—that would be so handy to have one closer, rather than going into Edmonton every time. Plus, I’m not as comfortable leaving her there yet, only because it’s farther away if I need to get there quickly.”

Laying Out the Rule Book

It goes without saying that not all adults look at teenagers as potential troublemakers. But you have to admit that while browsing social media, overhearing conversations at the neighbourhood coffee shop or reading some editorial comments published in the local paper, it’s clear there are a lot of opinions out there about bylaws, teens and how the two should come together. As a result, many teens feel unfairly judged by adults, especially those they describe as “seniors” and by parents of young children. Says one local teen we spoke to, “Most of the people who are giving us a hard time grew up in the seventies,” he laughs. “It’s like, why? You were young once, too.”

For the record, in St. Albert there are no teen-specific bylaws that affect where a teenager or group of teenagers can hang out. In this regard, the youth of the city follow the same rules as the adults. From time to time, a resident will bring forward the highly controversial idea of imposing a curfew bylaw for teens. St. Albert does not currently have a curfew, and according to St. Albert City Councillor Cathy Heron, this is not likely to happen any time soon. What the city does have, and is sometimes confused as a curfew, is a parks bylaw, which states that residents (regardless of age) cannot be in any parks or on the trail system between the hours of 11 pm and 5 am. However, if you are crossing the park late at night on your way home from work, for example, you’re okay to do so.

Loitering is another term that usually gets thrown into the mix when discussing groups of teens—a topic that can evoke strong opinions. Loitering is covered under the Criminal Code of Canada where it’s described, in short, as causing a disturbance in a public place. Corporal Laurel Kading, with St. Albert’s RCMP Community Policing Victim Services Unit (a unit that she describes as youth-focused) says that regardless of whether or not a person is actually causing a disturbance, if it’s called in, it is the police’s responsibility to respond. That’s something teens sometimes get upset over, particularly if they feel they were not causing a problem in the first place. “I think for us,” says 18-year-old Erica Tosto, “a lot of older people just automatically assume we’re up to no good, and it’s not fair. Instead of calling the cops, why don’t you just approach us and have a conversation in a non-condescending way.”

Of the teens that were interviewed, all of them said, at one point or another, they were, in their opinion, unfairly approached by an adult (including RCMP) and treated like a “troublemaker” when out in the public spaces around St. Albert. At the same time, however, about half of them also admitted that their parents would be upset with some of the things they had been up to when out with friends in the past. Corporal Kading explains that officers can use their discretion in circumstances like loitering and that it’s an “enforcement tool” used to weed out those who are actually causing trouble versus those who are just looking for something to do.

Of course, like anywhere, there’s always the few that ruin the reputation of the many. According to RCMP, youth from St. Albert are not getting into trouble any more than those from neighbouring communities. There is the idea out there that teen drug use is worse in St. Albert than in other municipalities; however, Corporal Kading dismisses this notion. “Unfortunately, drugs are a part of society that we need to address. You can’t pretend it’s not there. And like in most places, if you go looking for [drugs], eventually you’ll find them.”

The Community

In the summer of 2013, the St. Albert Youth Community Centre, located in Grandin Mall, closed down—the building was deteriorating, and the mall itself would eventually be demolished. A non-profit group ran the youth centre and decided it made the most sense to shut down operations. This was a decision the city got a lot of bad press over, with many people believing it was council who decided to pull the plug.

According to St. Albert City Councillor Cathy Heron, council wanted to act quickly to fill the void left after the youth centre closed down. To council’s surprise, says Heron, what they discovered was that kids didn’t actually want a replacement drop-in centre. The youth they talked to expressed that what they actually wanted was a green space they could visit, where they could hang out with friends and not be judged by adults for being there. Heron describes council as being genuinely invested in creating a welcoming place for youth, which is why the city passed a Youth Strategic Plan in January 2015 and is currently developing an official youth policy. “Though [young people] are about 20 percent of our population right now, they are 100 percent of our future,” says Heron.

In their attempt to support St. Albert teens, council recently decided to add extra revenues to the budget that deals with youth programming. The city funds initiatives such as the popular youth group BAM (Building Assets and Memories) and a youth festival called Amplify, which saw its first event successfully realized in the fall of 2014, with over 400 people in attendance. Outlined in the Youth Strategic Plan are details regarding a future service hub (referred to as the Garden). The hub will be located in the core of the city for easy access and young people will be able to seek assistance on a multitude of issues ranging from mental illness supports and counselling on bullying to building life skills, such as how to create a resume or file a tax return. The plan identifies a major goal of the Garden as providing an opportunity for youth to get the help they need before challenges become crisis situations. Though not a replacement for the old Youth Community Centre, the city feels that the Garden will fill a void left since its closure.

Oh, Those Summer Days

As June comes to a close, young people are no doubt looking forward to what the next two months will hold for them. Though it’s unreasonable to expect a teen, or anyone, to schedule activities 24/7, putting some forethought into summer plans that are interesting and meaningful can relieve boredom and help ensure that positive experiences are available on those long summer days. The following are some local opportunities available to teens:

Volunteering—There are many volunteer opportunities within St. Albert. For example, Servus Credit Union Place has a Leaders In Training Program and an Awesome Aquatics Program, both of which can lead to employment opportunities down the road.

CIVIC, an established non-profit group in St. Albert, is another great resource that will link teens to volunteer opportunities that speak to youth-specific interests. The group’s Director of Volunteer Centre Services, Pat Phelan, says St. Albert teens are “an impressive bunch of kids. Many don’t even see their volunteering as just that, volunteering, but as something fun that they want to do.” CIVIC lists popular volunteer opportunities such as working at festivals, at Telus World of Science, mentoring other youth or instructing classes such as yoga or soccer.

Employment—St. Albert Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Lynda Moffat says the Chamber is committed to supporting the young people of St. Albert. Many chamber members are youth-friendly employers who love working with the city’s hardworking teens. Some are even award winning, such as the owners of the McDonalds restaurants in St. Albert, who recently won the Alberta Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Employer of Youth Award of Distinction.

BAM—Ben Huising, the program coordinator for BAM, a city-run, youth-leading-youth initiative, describes the group as a safe space for youth to connect to the community, other youth and themselves. BAM does not have a set location; however, they usually meet at Servus Credit Union Place (visit the bamforyouth.ca for more information). The group focuses on a variety of youth-related topics and also prioritizes having fun (for example, they are behind the annual Slippin’ on 7 event where Seven Hills is covered with two giant slip-and-slides). “We’ve established a spot where [teens] get to provide for themselves what they want to do, to create a meaningful experience when they’re here.” And with 80 to 100 teens ranging in age from 15 to 18 participating on a regular basis, Huising believes the program is invaluable for the community. Recently BAM expanded to include kids from the junior-high crowd with events being facilitated by high-school students. They meet every week, but there’s no major commitment required and youth are encouraged to come and go as they like.

Special Interest Classes—There are a wide variety of special-interest classes available for youth, and although some have registration fees, many are free. For an online resource to research available classes, visit the stalbertfurthered.com website. Also available during the summer is free membership to students at St. Albert’s Goodlife Fitness (contact Goodlife Fitness for more information).

Servus Credit Union Place—A very popular hangout for teens, Servus offers a variety of activities for the cost of a daily drop-in fee. However, teens are also encouraged to come to Servus for a safe place to hang out with their friends, chat and enjoy the free Wi-Fi—there is no cost required to enjoy Servus’ social spaces. “We treat our teens, adults and kids all the same here,” says Tara Feser, St. Albert’s recreational coordinator. When asked about teens who frequent the popular spot, Feser says with a chuckle, “We definitely do not see any more issues with teens than with adults at Servus. In fact, if there is an instance of someone making trouble, there are about the same number of adults causing an issue as there are teens!”

Enjoy the Community—St. Albert is an inclusive community, and everyone is entitled to frequent its public spaces. This is the message delivered by the St. Albert Rec. Department. However, they do admit they wished more teens felt comfortable accessing the many amenities that are available to them. Feser believes some don’t even know that the outside spaces are open for all to use. For example, (unless it’s already been booked) fields and courts are available for any residents to use on a first-come, first-served basis, including the firepit areas in Lions Park. Two amenities in particular Feser says she wishes people would use more is the track-and-field area by Richard Fowler School and the beach-volleyball courts by the Woodlands Water Play Park.

Not to be left out, of course, is St. Albert’s popular skate park. In fact, the city will likely be expanding on its popularity by planning to introduce a portable skate park as early as next summer. This way, kids who live across town will also be able to easily enjoy access to the activity. In 2014, the city hired an attendant to be present at the park during peak hours, a move that has been very positive. The attendant, a teen skateboarder himself, is there mentoring other youth, showing off tricks and monitoring the area for safety purposes. He will be returning as an attendant again this year, starting in May. With all these options waiting, let the countdown to summer begin. t8n

Quick Facts

Neighbourhoods in St. Albert with the most teens are Deer Ridge and Lacombe Park. Mission and the Downtown area are the two neighbourhoods with the most seniors. The average age of all residents in St. Albert is 39.6 years, and the largest segment of the population in the city is between 50 and 64 years of age.

Did You Know?

St. Albert currently has 55 playgrounds, 38 sports fields, 34 ball diamonds,
24 outside rinks, 22 tennis courts and 18 off-leash areas. Unless otherwise booked, all amenities are available for any resident to use on a first-come, first-served basis.