Daily Herald Contributor
Youth in Prince Albert will now have access to a new drop-in centre thanks to a partnership between the Government of Saskatchewan, the Prince Albert Youth Advisory Team (YAT) and Prince Albert Outreach.
Dignitaries were on hand to officially open a new youth drop in centre at the Gateway Mall on Wednesday. The province will provide $135,000 this year, and more than $196,000 in annualized funding to support the centre’s development and operations.
“This new centre will provide young people age 12 and above a safe space and connections to a broad breakage of community services,” Prince Albert Northcote MLA Alana Ross added. “Young people will be able to build a strong future for themselves with easy access to cultural programs, education and training programs, health programs, support and information.”
In addition, $500,000 in new funding was announced as part of the 24-25 Provincial budget to increase supports for youth transitioning from care to access housing employment and educational opportunities.
“This center is a creative vision of the youth advisory teams. When more safe places for young people to connect and access supports were identified, we listened,” Ross said.
The centre will provide guidance and support services needed to best engage then as they transition to Independence.
Peggy Rubin, was the former executive director of the old drop in center at the Margo Fournier Centre, which started in 2000 and had 50 to 100 kids a night. Rubin said this new facility is a welcome development.
“It was all very exciting and it’s nice to see them going back to that because the kids really need a place where you connect … one to one,” she said. “The kids really need a place to go and feel they can talk to different people about their problems.”
The new Outreach Executive Director BilI Chow was with the police service for 30 years and was a board member of the Old youth centre. Like Rubin, he said there is a real need for this centre in the community.
“There’s always challenges when it comes to programming like this, especially when you are dealing with youth,” he said. “lt’s about providing them that opportunity, so you have to be able to adapt with the youth, as well as to everything else that’s going on in their lives and to provide them with the available opportunities.”
Since 2002, Chow said, youth programming in the Prince Albert area has helped youth improve their mental and physical health. He said opening a new Youth Drop-in Centre would only make those programs stronger.
“When it comes to just general health, or mental health, or physical health, we can provide help for them,” he said. “We’re not counselors. We’re not medical people, but we will help them get to the right places so that they can get the right services and assistance that they need as they grow up.”
