A three-day gang prevention symposium held at the Coronet Hotel in Prince Albert is shifting the conversation around youth gang involvement away from enforcement and toward early intervention, belonging, and the growing influence of digital spaces.
The event, organized by Family Futures, brings together educators, police, community workers, and families to examine how gang recruitment and identity formation have changed in recent years and how communities can respond before youth become involved in criminal activity.
Jolene Furi, executive director of Family Futures and the organizer of the symposium, said the goal is to provide up-to-date education and practical tools to those working directly with youth.
“We wanted all the updated information on what the gangs are, who they are, what their signs are, and also the resources that are out there to help,” Furi said. “The online digital threat is absolutely the most important piece nowadays.”
The Daily Herald spoke separately with Rai following the opening session of the symposium.
Rob Rai, senior consultant and lead facilitator with the Gang Reduction Through Informed Practice program, speaks during the opening session of the Gang Prevention Symposium in Prince Albert.
One of the keynote speakers, Rob Rai, a senior consultant and lead facilitator with the national Gang Reduction Through Informed Practice program (GRIP), told attendees that modern gang involvement is driven less by territory and more by identity, belonging, and online influence.
“We as a society and the schools have transitioned away from the physical smoke pit where all the young people who may be making poor choices would congregate,” Rai said. “Now young people who are vulnerable are congregating online.”
Rai said this shift has made prevention more challenging, as risky behavior is no longer visible in the same way.
“Physically we used to be able to see kids congregating together making poor choices,” he said. “Now we do not know what kids are doing behind closed doors, on their phones.”
He said prevention efforts must move beyond repeated warnings about the dangers of gangs and focus instead on inclusion and positive experiences.
“Instead of lecturing children on why gangs are bad, we are much better off including them in prosocial activities,” Rai said.
“We need places where kids feel like they belong and where they can experience success.”
Rai also warned that online gang recruitment mirrors patterns seen in extremist radicalization, with vulnerable youth being targeted through social media and messaging platforms.
“Who has access to your child through their device?” he said. “We would never allow our child to go talk to a stranger in the park. Why would we allow our child to go talk to a stranger online?”
In an interview following the session, Furi said this reality is being felt by families and frontline workers in Prince Albert, where online grooming and recruitment are increasingly common.
“That is how they are recruiting the gang members and grooming the youth into criminal activity,” she said.
She said the major gaps identified during the first session of the symposium is the lack of safe spaces for youth, particularly outside regular hours.
“One of the things that we lack in our city is a 24-hour drop in center for youth,” Furi said. “If the youth cannot be in their home at three in the morning, they are going to hang around with criminals and gang members because those are the only people that are up.”
Rai emphasized the importance of trust and connection when working with youth, especially those who have already made mistakes.
“When we label kids as bad, they will fill that space,” Rai said. “If you tell kids I believe in you, kids will fight to fill that space you have created for them.”
Rai said showing youth realistic future pathways is a key part of prevention, including honest conversations about careers and second chances.
“You made a mistake, but your record is sealed at 18,” he said. “You have a second chance.”
Furi said collaboration across agencies remains a challenge, often due to confidentiality barriers.
“What I know, maybe the next worker does not know, but I cannot tell them because of confidentiality,” she said. “That puts up a big blocker when everyone is working with the same family.”
The opening presentation, Youth Gangs in Canada, was delivered jointly by Rob Rai and Cpl. Jacob Cheung of the RCMP at the Coronet Hotel, focusing on how gang involvement has evolved nationally and locally. Other Day 1 sessions included Digital Threat Assessment and Youth Radicalization and Trends by Jaclynn Dennis and Gangs in Saskatchewan by Tyler Zrymiak. Cheung is also scheduled to appear alongside Rai later in the symposium for a session on police, school, and community partnerships.
Sessions on Day 2 are scheduled to address extortion and mobility within gang activity, with presentations by Raj Jaswal, as well as redirecting gang-associated youth by John Mubanda. The symposium is set to conclude on Day 3 with a recap, a film viewing titled It Takes a Village, and a closing discussion led by Rai on community responsibility and prevention.
The three-day symposium continues at the Coronet Hotel through Friday.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
