THUNDER BAY NEIGHBOURHOOD PROFILES

A YOUTH PERSPECTIVE

(Engaging Children and Youth to Create Safer Communities)

Prepared by: 	The Regional Multicultural Youth Council (RMYC) 
				Multicultural Youth Centre

				511 E Victoria Avenue
				Thunder Bay, Ontario
				P7C 1A8

“The best way to solve any problem is to remove its cause” – Martin Luther King Jr. 

September, 2008

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.	A Contemporary Fable - Upstream / Downstream				2

2..	Comments from the Neighbourhoods						3

3.	Introduction										4

4.	Training and Orientation								5

5.	Limbrick Place									6

6.    	Academy Park									9

7. 	Windsor Place									11

8. 	Southcore / Paterson Park / McKellar Park					13

9. 	Giving Ordinary People A Voice							18
	* 	Police Chief									18
	*	Mayor										19
	* 	Premier									18
	* 	Prime Minister								18

10.  	Youth-to-Youth Focus Groups 							19

11. 	Comments and Analysis								26

12.	Recommendations									30

13. 	Concluding Comments								37

14. 	Follow-Up Plans									38

15. 	Acknowledgements & Newspaper Article				Back cover

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CONTEMPORARY FABLE
Upstream / Downstream - by Ardell
	
“It was many years ago that villagers in Downstream recall spotting the first body in a river.  Some old timers remember the poor facilities and procedures for managing the rescue.  Sometimes, they say, it would take hours to pull just 10 people from the river, and even then only a few would survive.
	
The number of victims in the river has increased greatly in recent years, and the good folks of Downstream have responded admirably to the challenge.  Their rescue system is clearly second to none.  Now, most people discovered in the swirling waters are reached within 20 minutes - many in less than 10.  Only a small number drown each day before help arrives.  This is a big improvement from the way it used to be.

Talk to the people of Downstream, and they’ll speak with pride about the new hospital by the edge of the waters, the flotilla of rescue boats ready for service at a moment’s notice, comprehensive plans for coordinating all the manpower involved, and the large number of highly trained and dedicated swimmers always ready to risk their lives to save victims from the raging currents.  ‘Sure it costs a lot’, say the Downstreamers.  ‘What else can decent people do except to provide whatever help and support is necessary when human lives are at stake?’

A few people in Downstream have raised the questions now and again, ‘What is happening Upstream? How are these people getting into the river?  Why do many of them not know how to swim?’ But, most folks show little interest in finding the answers.  It seems there’s so much to do to help those already in the water that nobody has got time to check how these people are getting in the river in the first place.   That is the way things are in society sometimes.”

Moral:  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 		
- 3 -

Comments from the Neighbourhoods

“Something needs to be done here for the sake of our children”

 “There are parents who want to do something for their kids, but cannot get help to get anything going”

“We have kids in grade 3 or 8 years old already smoking and doing drugs”

 “Move the Beer Store from the middle of our residential area”
  
 “If some of these youth don’t get help, they will become worse that their parents”

“You have to be here at night to see what really goes on”

“Shoppers are scared to come downtown, and this is affecting businesses”

“The only way we kids get attention is when we cause trouble”
 
“Native people need help to live in the city”

“This is “Pill Bay”, you can get whatever pills you want”

“Who wants to live in this neighbourhood if you can afford to move to a safer place” 

“We are a divided society.  No one really cares much about the poor”

“With a Children’s Charter, Thunder Bay can do much better than this for the kids”

- 4 -

CREATING SAFER NEIGHBOURHOODS FOR CHILDREN
 
Introduction:

This report is a summary of the project conducted by the Regional Multicultural Youth Council (RMYC) in July and August, 2008. It covers information gathered from  discussions, interviews and focus groups in selected neighbourhoods across the City of Thunder Bay.  The aim was to learn about the issues affecting children and youth, but we also felt that it was necessary to include input from parents and other adults.  

To attract kids, the Youth Council hosted barbecues with sports games, arts and crafts and music. Parents were invited to join in the fun, tell their stories, and share experiences about raising kids in these neighbourhoods. Other adults were welcome to attend the functions, and add their comments on living in the local areas.  

The barbecues  provided an opportunity for members of the Youth Council to meet with local residents, connect with the youth, and learn first-hand what is happening around them.  This was also a chance to give children and youth a voice to express their concerns, and encourage them, their parents, and other residents to come up with ideas to improve things in the neighbourhood.  The recommendations would be sent to Thunder Bay City Council for strategic planning under the Children’s Charter. 											
The Sites:

The RMYC identified Academy Park, Limbrick Place, Windsor Place and the Thunder Bay Southcore as ideal sites to host the events because of the large concentration of children and youth, and constant media reports on crime and violence.  To establish working partnerships in the area, the Youth Council contacted the Neighbourhood Police Offices for support and familiarization with local issues such as potential risks.
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To implement the project, the Youth Council needed sponsors.  A request for funding was submitted to the United Way-YouthScape Project.  We also approached Safeway and Tim Hortons for in-kind donations.  Once funds were secured, the RMYC went to work to develop an implementation plan for the events.  

A team of Youth Council officers, youths hired under the Summer Experience Program, and volunteers was created to co-ordinate the project. The Multicultural Association of Northwestern Ontario (MANWO), the incorporated parent organization of the RMYC provided insurance and supervised the youth. The City’s Parks and Recreation Department was contacted for sports equipment, and provided basketballs, soccer balls, and props. Hockey sticks, pucks, nets, tennis balls, materials for face paintings and arts and crafts were purchased. The barbecue and sound system were rented.

A  physical tour was organized to select ideal the sites to hold the event.  Open space was needed for the children to play games. Mid afternoon was the ideal time to avoid the supper rush.  The dates and times were set, the team prepared promotional leaflets that were hand-delivered in advance to homes in the targeted neighbourhoods.

Training and Orientation:

Next was training the project team comprised of seventeen members of youths from different racial backgrounds.  MANWO staff conducted instruction about basic hygiene, food storage for outdoor events, and orientation on food preparation, and handling meals for public consumption to avoid food poisoning.
Liability and risk factors were explained. Those supervising kids had to be vigilant to minimize the risk of injury and property damage.  General expectations at the events  were spelled out on a poster. There was a code of behaviour highlighting: mutual respect, no wasting food, no littering, no rough play, no foul language, no swearing, no put downs or fighting.  

- 6 - 

The project team was divided into groups responsible for specific tasks such as food preparation, games, and public relations. A check list of materials and supplies that included a First Aid kit was prepared for reference to prepare for the events.

The Youth Council’s goal was to connect with the people, get them to write down responses to  questions, or talk about the issues. It was important to make the children and their parents feel welcome and comfortable to tell us their stories. This ensured that we got the information about the neighbourhhood, and ways to make things better.

LIMBRICK PLACE,  July 11 & 18, 2008

Two events were held at Limbrick Place.  The Vale Community Centre was the venue fo a dance for children 12 and under, held on July 11.  When the kids entered the hall, and during the course of the dance, they were asked to write or draw on large rolls of paper answers to the following four questions. 

1.	What is “cool” about your neighbourhood?, and, What is not so “cool”?
2.	What are the issues/problems in your community?
3.	Do you feel safe? Why or why not?
4.	What can be done?

Those who could not write, or were concerned about their literacy skills were urged to talk.  About thirty kids attended the free dance from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.   

A week later, we hosted a three hour barbeque outside on the Vale Community Centre grounds. Parents were invited to join their children.  Hotdogs and juice were served. Activities such as sports, games, face painting, and a graffiti wall for kids to express themselves were also very popular.  The “Neighbourhood Quality of Life Profile Sheets” were posted up, and children and their parents were invited to answer the questions.

- 7 -
					
The turnout was impressive in spite of a police investigation that had a large section of Limbrick cordoned off. Over eighty people attended the barbecue.  By the time we were done, we had given out more than fifteen dozed hot dogs, and went through two large containers of apple and orange juice.  A lot of information was written down, and the team also recorded the comments by those who preferred to talk about their experiences orally.

The Issues and Comments:

The kids had a lot to say about their experiences at Limbrick Place, nicknamed “The Hood”.  On what is “cool” about their neighbourhood, Vale Community Centre was it.  It was a safe place for them to hang out, have fun, be entertained, and get support.  They liked the recreational activities organized by the Boys and Girls Club at Vale.  The computers, facilities for games and trips were very popular.  But some people said that the membership fees charged were a barrier to some.

They also liked the play areas, the basketball courts in the neighbourhood, and the play grounds/play-fields at the Kinsmen Northwood Centre across the street.
  
On what is not so ‘cool‘? the list included same issues they considered as problems:

- 	Broken glass / Broken Bottles / Litter
- 	Bullying / Threats / Stalking
- 	Dirty yards and Unkept homes
- 	Drugs
- 	Drunks
- 	Gangs
- 	Noise
- 	Stealing
- 	Vandalism / Graffiti 

- 	Violence   

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The above issues made most of the kids not feel safe.  The only times they felt safe were when they were in the company of their friends, parents, or an older sibling.  What  received the most mention were incidents of bullying and too many drunks walking around.  The parents commented on the regular drinking parties where children were neglected and left unsupervised to run around the neighbourhood at odd hours. 
Many parents who spoke acknowledged that the neighbourhood was facing serious social issues that were having a negative influence on their children.  They wanted to move to get away from what was happening, if they could afford it.

On What Can Be Done?, we got the following suggestions:

•	Anti-bullying, drug prevention, crime-prevention and violence prevention presentations, workshops on social issues, self-discipline and good behaviour be to help kids develop lifeskills, and team building games and exercises.
•	Creating an anti-littering program with recycling and garbage cans around the neighbourhood.  Litter is contagious and makes the whole area look dirty.
•	Erecting graffiti walls or placing boards in the neighbourhood to encourage creativity, promote youth engagement, and prevent vandalism.
•	Moving people trouble makers such as drunks and drug dealers from the area, and helping residents to maintain their yards and keep their homes clean.
•	Running special activities such as the Girl-Power program the RMYC used to have at Limbrick, talking and listening to the kids about their issues, and working with them to organize their own activities.
•	Training sessions in lifeskills, good manners, discipline, and any other topics that can help to make a difference.
•	Organizing more low-cost recreational activities for children and youth.  

Parents who attended the barbecue wanted to know what the Youth Council would be doing with all the information we collected.  They wanted to be kept informed, and we promised to keep them up-dated on any progress.

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ACADEMY PARK,  August 13, 2008

In spite of a rather cloudy day with a few drizzles, more than sixty people came to the barbecue.  The responses were overwhelmingly on the negative side in regards to “What is ‘cool’, or not so ’cool’ about Academy Park?” One positive thing happening was the Urban Aboriginal Strategy Neighbourhood Capacity Building Program operating in the area one day a week.  Aboriginal kids really liked participating in the activities.
  
On ‘What is not so cool?”,  the list included:
- 	Break-ins
- 	Drugs & Drunks
- 	Eggs getting thrown at windows

- 	Fights / Violence
- 	Loud noise
- 	No playgrounds or recreational facilities for youths/teens 

On issues in the neighbourhood, the residents raised the following concerns:
- 	Bad parenting, Poor role models in the home / Kids copying bad habits
- 	Break-ins / Theft / Robberies
- 	Discrimination / racism
- 	Drivers not yielding for pedestrians
- 	Drug abuse 
- 	Drunks / Drinking at night and sleeping during day
- 	Gangs / Being stalked
- 	Getting beat up / Bullying / Violence
- 	Murder
- 	Noise, people shouting and yelling at night

- 	No supervision of kids day or night
- 	New people in town getting placed in low-come housing

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- 	Native people from reserves are uninformed about issues in community
- 	People armed or carrying weapons for self-defence
- 	Poor security.  Late response to calls in spite of Neighbourhood Police office 
- 	Stray animals
- 	Vandalism /	Egging windows / Graffiti
On safety, many of the resident said that they feel safe during the day, but not at night.
The kids felt safer in the company of others, as a group, or with an escort , and were afraid of bullies and stalkers.  They said it was a tough and rough neighbourhood.

For “What can be done?”, there were many suggestions such as:

•	Anti-bullying, drug prevention, crime-prevention, violence prevention workshops and presentations on social issues the kids want to discuss & learn more about
•	Community programs/activities
•	Counselling services, anger management, parenting, basic hygiene, etc. 
•	More awareness programs and support services for new residents
•	More police presence.  Regular use of the Police Neighbourhood Office
•	More programs to educate children and parents about cleanliness, safety, etc
•	No drunken people / ban alcohol
•	No littering program with recycling and garbage cans around the neighbourhood 
•	Parenting courses and lifeskills workshops
•	Clean up poorly kept homes and dirty yards 
•	Recreational activities for children and youth / arrange bus trips to pools, etc
•	Social classes in schools / working together
•	Support groups, counselling services, out-reach
•	Surveillance cameras / links to Eye in the Sky
•	Volunteer development for community clean up, community pride
Many Academy residents want their neighbourhood to feel safer particularly for children.  But some seem to have given up that anything will change.

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WINDSOR PLACE,   August 19, 2008

Windsor Place was the last public housing project area the Youth Council hosted a community barbecue. It also proved to be the busiest and most informative because of the experience the youth team had gained from the other events.  

On ‘What is “cool”?, the Urban Aboriginal Strategy Neighbourhood Capacity Building Program was mentioned  as the only positive thing happening in the neighbourhood.  Unfortunately, during the summer, the program was available only one day a week .

On ‘What is not so “cool”?,’ the list included the following issues that were also mentioned as problems in the neighbourhood:

On the question: “Do you feel safe in your community? Why? or Why Not?”  
Some people said that they felt safe in the company of friends and family. A majority said that they did not feel safe at all in the neighbourhood.  Their reasons given are: 

-	Bad people who don’t respect other peoples’ children
- 	Bullies
- 	Don’t feel safe around buildings, scared of being jumped
- 	Drugs
-  	Drunks
- 	Drinking and driving
- 	Fighting
- 	Gangs
- 	Playground not safe for children
- 	Many prowling the neighbourhood at night
- 	No police presence
- 	Lots of traffic at certain spots
- 	People should watch their kids at playgrounds
- 12 - 

On “Issues” in the neighbourhood, the list included the following: 

- 	Alcohol / Drinking and Driving
- 	Boredom  

- 	Bullying / Cockiness 
- 	Broken Glass / Broken Bottles
- 	Drugs
- 	Gangs
- 	Garbage all over / Littering / Dirty Homes and Dirty Neighbourhood                  
- 	Kids removing paving bricks, damaging sidewalks  
- 	Newcomers to Thunder Bay, new to city issues, lack of control 
- 	Noise, People shouting late at night 

- 	No respect, people arguing in public 
- 	People yelling at night
- 	Partying out of hand 
- 	Parents yelling at children unnecessarily / child abuse 
- 	Poverty / Low income / Hungry kids
- 	Racism / Discrimination / Name calling
-  	Unsupervised children / poor parenting
- 	Vandalism
- 	Violence / Assault
- 	Yelling and swearing from outsiders 

 For “What can be Done?” the suggestions were as follows:
- 	Be nice to each other/ Presentations and workshops on anger and empathy
- 	Community watch / Neighbourhood watch / Night watch

- 	Create and support local volunteer programs
-	Fix the children’s playground, replace dirty sand, and make it cleaner for kids
- 	Get people together in groups to address the issues
- 	Good adults and role models to say NO to gangs
- 	Help to organize activities for children and their parents

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- 	More affordable housing for low income
 - 	More parental supervision / parenting courses
- 	More police presence / Call cops when trouble is brewing / More security patrols
- 	Move alcoholics and drunks out
- 	Organize a community clean-up to put trash lying around in garbage cans
- 	Open Forest Park School for community activities for both parents and kids
- 	People clean-up after themselves / neatness and community pride
- 	Provide more programs to keep kids busy
- 	Put up signs/rules for neighbourhood
- 	Teach people to maintain their homes and yards, have clean home challenge
- 	Tell trouble makers to cease causing mischief, or move out

The parents who came to the barbecue were very motivated to do something to improve the neighbourhood for the sake of their children.

Observations from the Public Housing Projects:

There are many houses and a lot of children all concentrated in one area in public housing projects.  The homes are primarily for low income people, and different cultural groups including newcomers to the city live in the neighbourhoods. Racial tensions are common, and this creates potential for conflict among both the children and adults.  
Many parents are concerned about the negative influences surrounding their children, which they feel makes them prone to involvement in criminal activities. Having nothing for kids to do increases their chances of getting into trouble, being involved criminal activities, becoming part of wannabe-youth gangs, or joining real youth street gangs. 

The public housing setting is ideal for trying pilot projects with interested parents who want to transform things in their neighbouhoods.   We need to capture any enthusiasm to improve situations, and develop the local capacity as stakeholders for change.

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PATERSON PARK / MCKELLAR / SOUTHCORE: July & August, 2008
The barbecues for the South-core were held at the parking lot next to Paterson Park in front of the McKellar Park Neighbourhood Police Office.  Because the location is by our Multicultural Youth Centre, we had the barbecues and kids sports every Friday evening in July and August,  from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.  On some of the days, the games lasted longer because the kids were having so much fun.
  
With so many people hanging around Paterson Park all day, we did not publicized the events widely for fear that the crowds would be too big and hard for the youth to handle.  In spite of the low publicity, we still had hundreds of people turning out for the barbecue and a lot of kids coming to play games.  This kept us busy, and over the summer, we went through nearly two thousand hotdogs.

The southcore barbecues enabled the RMYC to meet and network with the common folk most members of the Youth Council’s summer team would not normally associate with.  The events attracted many kids, families, seniors, the homeless, and those facing mental and social challenges. There were also many Aboriginal families, some new to the city. Residents from the John Howard House and the Thunder Bay Shelter House located in the neighbourhood also showed up. They were all at their best, stood in line, did not swear or used foul language, joined in the fun, and helped with the clean-up. 

On issues of safety, some people said they felt safe during the day, or because they had their “boys” to back them up.  Even then, certain places such as the bus terminal, Simpson Street, or the alleys downtown were considered unsafe.  There is a beer store in middle of the neighbourhood next to homes, and with several bars surround the area, alcohol is readily available.  The problem is very evident in summer when the homeless drink outdoors. A Methadone clinic in the area helps to control illegal drugs, but many pills and medications are on the street, that the area is referred to as “Pill Bay” 
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A majority of people said that they did not feel safe at night due to:
- 	Addicts - alcohol and drugs
- 	Afraid of being jumped, robbed, or assaulted
- 	Brodie Street bus terminal not safe at night 
- 	crazy people and a lack of self-control associated with the area
- 	Needles, condoms, littered all over.
- 	People with serious mental health issues talking to themselves all the time
- 	Stalkers, sexual assault,  being raped
- 	Young crowds and gangs that come to hang out in the area.
							
On the issues facing the neighbourhood, (What in not “Cool?”)  the list included: 
- 	Alcohol abuse / Drunks / Under-age drinking in lane-ways 
- 	Beer store, and too many bars and booze-cans in neighbourhood 
- 	Break and Enters
- 	Chemicals / Prescription drug addicts / Junkies			
-  	Discrimination / Racism / Hate Crimes
- 	Drug dealers
- 	Fights, Assaults, Stabbings, Murder
-  	Gangs
- 	Graffiti
- 	Many people with mental health problems
- 	High cost of living / many people on low incomes
- 	Homelessness, Some people kicked out of the Shelter have no place to go
- 	Neglected homes and abandoned buildings 				
- 	No structured activities for kids / No safe play areas & playgrounds for children
- 	Littering
- 	Poverty / Many people / families cannot live on their incomes and allowances
- 	Prostitution 
- 	Robberies
- 	Run-down houses, neglected apartments and buildings
- 16 -

- 	Rudeness / Bad behaviour
- 	Unemployment	
- 	Vandalism / Arson
 - 	Violence

Some of these issues such as homelessness, alcoholics, drug addicts, poverty, violence, and litter, are very visible in the area including poor people sleeping in Patterson Park.  Beggars and pen-handlers on  street corners.  Some do it right in front of the Youth Centre. Others are selling cheap merchandise or pawning stuff, searching for cigarette butts to smoke, and looking into garbage cans for food. Those digging into restaurant garbage sheds rip open bags and cartons, and leave litter everywhere--just as cats and dogs do.  Mental health adds to verbal violence, and yelling/shouting is common.  Some arguments end in physical violence.  There are also people using alleyways as toilets.  Vomit, urine, spit and feces are a common sight behind some buildings including our Youth Centre, making it messy, smelly, and a health risk. 

Litter is common place.  Broken glass, broken beer bottles, needles, used condoms, empty cigarette packaging, cigarette butts, pop cans, coffee cups, candy wrappers, and potato chip packages and lots of flyers are everywhere. The Evergreen United Neighbourhood Trash Bashers have been doing a great job cleaning up the mess in the neighbourhood.  The group has also been involved in various community activities including organizing the Neighbourhood Fall Festival, making them something “cool”.

Other “Cool” things were the community garden, the John Howard House and Shelter House for the homeless.  Community drop-ins mentioned were The Rock and Street
Reach. Youth initiatives included the Underground Gym, Boys and Girls Club in the East End, the Multicultural Youth Centre, Urban Aboriginal Strategy Neighbourhood Capacity Building Program, and Youth Zone at McKellar Park School.  The food bank, and the used clothes depots are valued services that add a “coolness’ to the area. The swimming pools (Dease and Widnall) are popular with kids.
- 17 -

The Northwest Health Centre, and Community Coalition Unified for the Protection of our Children and Youth (CCUPCY), were known to some for their drug and anti-gang prevention programs. Peacekeepers, the Fort William Neighbourhood Renewal and RiverFest helped to promote the area’s positive image.  First Nations Organizations and Aboriginal agencies were ‘cool’ to many people for providing much needed services. St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Superior Points, the Methadone Clinic were considered assets to the area, even though there were some concerns about the nature of the clients.  City Hall, Volunteer Organizations,Ontario Works Learning Centre, and Victoriaville Centre (Mall) and all the shops in the area were also ‘cool’..

Evergreen, a grassroots group operating in the area was also mentioned as a successful example of a volunteer capacity building pilot project working to improve the neighbourhood. The RMYC has been working with Evegreen to engage local youths.

In spite of an impressive list of the “cool” things mentioned, some of the people did not know of the services available. Newer families, transients, youths, and a lot of Aboriginal people were not familiar with some of the ‘cool’ groups, social service agencies mentioned, and the supports available. Even though City Hall is located in the vicinity, there is a general feeling that the neighbourhood has been abandoned.  As more Aboriginal people move into the area, some people are of the opinion that things will get worse.  The area will continue to be run down unless our political leaders are willing to invest in remedial programs that empower people to help themselves. The Neighbourhood renewal committee working to change the negative reputation is one group giving people some hope that the area may be saved..

What can be done to improve or change the neighbourhood:?
- 	Better lighting in alleyways and a bus terminals and bus stops
- 	Clean up the community	
- 	Communicate more with residents and work together for change
- 	Consult with the Aboriginal community on their unique needs and help them
- 18 -

- 	Create positive places for youth
- 	Give people a chance to speak out about issues
- 	Have graffiti walls to cut down on vandalism and liven up abandoned buildings
- 	Help the less fortunate, talk with them to find solutions
-	Increase taxes to get better crime prevention and police protection
- 	Legalize salvia
- 	Lower gas prices / Lower cost of living
- 	More activities for kids in the area
- 	More education / Kids staying in school
- 	More recreational activities		
- 	More peace-keepers patrolling neighbourhoods
- 	Move the Beer Store from the middle of the neighbourhood

- 	Open more drop-ins with counselling sessions - 	People acting more mature / self-discipline
- 	Put more public garbage bins in neighbourhood			
- 	Stop wasting money on more studies, work with groups already doing something
- 	Support the Multicultural Youth Centre
- 	The City should fund volunteer groups to do more out-reach work in the area

GIVING ORDINARY PEOPLE A VOICE

Towards the end of the Southside barbecues, the RMYC decided to include another exercise to add to the dialogue. Our youth team was interested to find out what ordinary folks who rarely have opportunities to talk with our community and political leaders would want to say if they had a chance to meet them. 
  
Below is a synopsis of what some of the people wrote down on the paper banners, or  verbally told the Youth Council team they would like to tell our Police Chief, Mayor, Ontario Premier and  Prime Minister.
- 19 -

Police Chief

•	Cultural sensitivity training and mental health training for police officers 
•	Doing a good job to make the community safe
•	Do not to look down upon Aboriginal youths, treat us as equal to everyone
•	Get rid of racist officers
•	Help us to get safe places for the youth to hang out in this City!
•	Not enough officers to do a good job to deal with gangs and protect all people
•	Police Officers should have more respect towards all people
•	Officers should get educated on cultural aspects of Aboriginal families
•	Police officers should not point guns at people for threats
•	We do not see you around much
•	Where are the Neighbourhood Police Officers when we need them?

Mayor
•	Attract more businesses to Thunder Bay
•	Desperate! Need places for youth to hang out after school and on weekends
•	Do something to clean up our troubled neighbourhoods 
•	Go to meet poor people and struggling families in their run-down homes
•	Have a budget dedicated to the Children’s Charter
•	Having an Aboriginal Liaison Officer is a big plus for the City
•	Help charities with some of the Casino money
•	If you can find money to repair City Hall, you can spare some cash for the kids
•	Listen to the ordinary people’s concerns too
•	Meet with Aboriginal leaders to understand the issues from their side
•	Play areas for kids in the downtown
•	Poor parents/families need help with affordable recreation for the kids 
•	Support prevention programs at youth centres to keep kids out of trouble
•	There should be a youth advisory committee (Junior Youth Council) for City Hall 
•	We need a community centre in the southcore
•	You need to connect with the Aboriginal more, and get to know us better

- 20 -
Premier
•	Change legislation for First Nations mining rights
•	Expand the Youth Challenge fund to other communities outside Toronto
•	Focus on prevention programs to stop problems getting worse
•	Have more addiction and treatment centres for youths 
•	Help families living in poverty , too many hungry kids
•	Imprisoning KI leaders was unjust and unfair
•	Do not close neighbourhood schools 
•	Put more money into healthcare
•	Stop downloading services and programs to municipalities
•	Thank you for funding programs for disabled people
•	Use lottery funds to help youth centres keep kids out of trouble 
•	We need funding for youth centres to keep kids out of trouble
•	Your idea of opening schools for use by community groups is great!

Prime Minister

•	Canada needs a national youth council for government input & decision-making
•	Do something about gas prices
•	Help single parents and families living in poverty 
•	More funding for Aboriginal youths coming into the city to get their education.
•	More money for foreign affairs
•	More Native workers to deal with issues such as the legacy of residential schools
•	Quit taking Canada ‘s resources and selling them. They belong to Canadians
•	Save the environment, protect Mother Earth.
•	Thanks for apologizing about residential school abuse
•	Twin the Trans-Canada Highway
•	Use taxpayers money wisely
•	We should also spend as much money to fight terrorism in our neighbourhoods
•	
•	You are doing a good job / Good job, bud!
•	
•	Speed up treaty negotiations and land settlements with First Nations
- 21 -

YOUTH-TO-YOUTH FOCUS GROUPS – THE STORIES
Simpson–Ogden Neighbourhood from the Kids Perspective
					
Between July 8,  and  August 15, the RMYC held a series of focus groups to discuss youth concerns in the Ogden - Simpson Street Neighbourhood.  The participants were  local youths ages 10-13 who live in the area.   Even though many of the Youth Council members who volunteer at the Youth Centre on a regular basis thought that we are familiar with what goes on in the area, we were appalled with the stories we heard.

It was hard to believe that the young people we were talking with were living with such experiences on a daily basis. Compared to some of us, the lives of the kids in their neighbourhood were different and shocking. When we talked and asked questions, some of the responses were very casual. They all talked about what was happening in a rather innocent manner, even though the issues were serious and of grave concern.

This was a youth-to-youth consultation covering many topics. The young people talked about alcohol, drugs, prostitution and violence as everyday problems. They did not feel safe due to drunks prowling around, prostitutes, gangs, drug dealers walking the streets. They regularly see police cruisers patrolling the streets, but the officers are usually not quick enough to respond and do something when things happen.

When we asked how they felt about living in the area, one girl responded that: “I live near a beer store and a bar, what can you expect?”  And from the look in her eyes, you could feel the disgust of calling this neighbourhood her home.  Break and enters, damage to vehicles, and vandalism to property are common as people try to get cash to buy booze, drugs or pills. Corner-stores in the area have been robbed several times. Needles are everywhere pausing a health risk to kids playing in the area. This was a conspicuous problem when members of the Youth Council joined the Evergreen Neighbourhood Trash Bashers on Wednesday evenings to pick up garbage in the lane-ways and side-streets. 

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Violence is a major concern. It is not safe for kids to hang outside after dark.  There was a consensus among the youths that incidents of stabbing, fights, assaults and other forms of violent acts are on the increase. Gangs, and assaults when people drink are common.  There are also cases where people have been murdered in the area. This restricts the kids’ movements in the area, making them feel like prisoners in their own neighbourhood. 

An extreme case of violence was when one youth spoke of a person being pushed off a fourth-floor balcony in their neighbourhood.   They watched the body being taken away in a stretcher, presumably dead. They have also seen suicide attempts in the same area, and watched some people threatening or trying to jump off buildings.

The youth were aware of incidents of sexual assaults and girls being harassed by drunks.  With all the drinking going on, they said that young girls, or boys for that matter, were very vulnerable to being sexually exploited or raped.  The young people we talked with said that they constantly see ‘hookers’ walking the streets, and being picked up.  One girl aged 13 told us that while walking with her mother, men would drive by consistently giving them gestures and trying to pick them up.  Similarly, a 13-year-old boy told us of how one woman standing on a street corner openly asked him if he wanted to have some fun. 
It is a major concern that these kids are exposed to prostitution on a daily basis.  Some kids even hear the cries of some ‘hooker’ being assaulted in the back lanes.  Obviously, this is not a safe environment for children, and, really, this is not an ideal area to raise children and subject them to this kind of experience.  One just wonders about the long-term impact on the kids growing up surrounded by these negative influences.

For the Youth Council members who are not from the area, it was an eye opener to see the young people speak so casually about the odd things happening in the neighbourhood. Their comments were punctuated by some giggles, as if it was no big deal.  This revealed a growing divide of what is ‘normal’  between the kids from troubles areas, and those living in the more affluent neighbourhoods.  They have no idea of what their peers they may go to the same schools with are exposed to or facing everyday.
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The stories did not end there.  When we asked them if they we happy about their situation, there was a resounding NO!   This was primarily due to the safety restrictions this imposed on them.  For a “wish list” on  the changes they would like to see, they had plenty to say.  
In order for them to feel safe,  they want  the drunks and junkies taken away, and the beer store moved from the residential area.  They wanted the hookers and pimps off the streets.  And, they also wanted adults stopped from buying beer for other people too drunk to be served, and doing beer runs for underage kids in the neighbourhood.  This is amazing! It shows that anti-drug, and MADD programs are getting through to some kids. 

A majority of the youth in the focus groups were in care.  Some openly acknowledged that they suffered from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, or had been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  The fact that they may have been taken away from their parents due to alcohol/drug abuse, may have influenced their ideas against addictions. Realizing and acknowledging these issues as problems is a positive beginning for the youth. It is inspiring that even though the things they talked about seem ‘normal’, they felt that what was happening  was not right.  We should capitalize on this and support them.

The young people want to be involved in positive things.  They would like a break from seeing the bad things in their neighbourhood.  They would benefit from being exposed to something to help them feel good about themselves. When we asked them what they normally do during the day?  They said that they usually go to their favourite summer hangouts such as Dease and Widnall pools (which apparently are being considered for closure).  They did not like the ‘splash pads’ the City is promoting as a cheaper alternative because they are for little kids.  

They felt that there was not much for teenagers to do in the area.  With no play grounds, and no money to go out elsewhere, they relied on Youth Centre for computers, to watch movies, and just hang out with their friends.  Those closer to the East-End went to the Boys and Girls Club.  But using the under-pass to get there is very scary.

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Other things they enjoyed and wanted to participate in are: sports, arts and crafts, drama, dance classes, karaoke, guitar hero, summer camps and going on trips.  They also liked talking circles and workshops.  When we asked them about the issues they would like to discuss, they wanted to learn about drugs and alcohol, bullying, violence, crime, racism, eating disorders, mental health, jobs, good manners, teen sexuality and relationships.  Most of the girls in the focus group were part of the RMYC “Girl Power” initiative at McKellar Park Central School. They enjoyed participating in the presentations where they took turns to share what they learned from the issues they researched on computers. This is how many were introduced to the Youth Centre, and have been dropping in regularly.

The youth hoped that the RMYC would find money to keep the Youth Centre open regular hours when schools opened in the fall.  Having hung around with us, they wanted  to help organize after-school activities, and plan recreational events to get all their fiends and other youths involved.  Some having problems with school work said they would benefit from reading groups, homework clubs, and some tutoring on difficult subjects. 

Special Summer Activities at the Multicultural Youth Centre:
During the summer project, the Youth Centre was open from 10:00 a.m. to 10: 00 p.m.  Initially, the youth came to use computers, and we were able to put twelve units in service.  As more young people dropped in with nothing much to do, we had to find ways to keep them occupied while waiting their turn at computers.

We got the youth to work with the Summer Experience Students to plan their own activities, participate in community events, and do volunteer service.  For example, on Mondays, we organized “Active Youth” where the youth walked or jogged around Paterson Park to exercise, promote fitness and good health. With many drunks and pen-handlers around,  some people avoided the area.  Having youths exercising and hosting the barbecues in the area was a way to ‘claim the Park back’ for the use of everyone including kids.

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On Tuesdays we had “Guitar Hero Tournaments”.  This was one way  to bring local youths from the neighbourhood to the Youth Centre to collaborate the Youth Council team.  The room with the big-screen TV was filled with aspiring ‘Thunder Bay Music Idols’, and fans.
During day-time on Wednesdays, we held “Jamsesh”. Youths were invited to bring  musical instruments for the jam sessions. A karaoke machine, sound system and musical equipment were rented.  The jam sessions provided an opportunity for the youth to share talents and skills, as well as practice for performances at the RMYC barbecues and community festivals.  We discovered many talented young musicians in our community.
In the evening, we volunteered with the “Evergreen Trash Bashers: to clean up the  Ogden - Simpson neighbourhood.  This was also an educational exercise to learn about safety in regards to needles and condoms discarded in the lane-ways.  It was only the youth from the Centre who joined the adult volunteers to clean up the neighbourhood.  The Youth Council’s strategy to use youths to recruit their peers and mobilize them for community service was effective at getting young volunteers. 
Thursdays were for Movie Nights.  The youth chose the movies to watch. But it was agreed that they would not be  too violent, degrading to other people, promoting drugs or other negative lifestyles. The turn out was good as older youths brought their siblings along.  The Youth Council fundraised for the popcorn and refreshments.
On Fridays, we had the South-side Community barbecues.  These were very popular with  both the youth and adults alike.  The City’s Parking Authority allowed us to use the parking lot after-hours.   We got power for the sound system from the McKellar 

Neighbourhood Police office.  Feeding the kids attracted many and encouraged them to actively participate in the games with the Youth Council team.  It was sad that after the events–some of the kids were reluctant, or did not want to go home.  As one kid told us: “I don’t like going home because everyone is drinking.  I don’t want someone crawling in my bed when I am sleeping”.  We got to know the kids personally.  They began to confide in us, and with trust established, we were able to talk and provide information on where they could go for help.

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COMMENTS AND ANALYSIS

The children and adults who came to community barbecues had many stories to share.  Parenting was mentioned by many as major problem. Many Aboriginal kids are affected by inter-generational impacts of residential schools. We heard of parents who party hard and stay up all night.  Children are afraid to come home to bed for fear of being assaulted verbally, physically or sexually.  The partying parents, sleep most of the day, and kids cannot stay home so as not to disturb the sleepers. Ironically, some of the drinking parties are to celebrate the return of someone from alcohol or drug treatment, or prison.

Such situations left the kids running about outside, unsupervised, and exposed to various risks in the neighbourhood.  The children were often hungry and vulnerable to negative influences such as stealing and involvement with gangs.  Bullying and violence were common, and kids were carring knives for self-protection. Unfortunately, the chances of using weapons increase when armed kids get into arguments or are threatened.    

The issue of poor parenting creates discipline and behaviour problems for the children. This is a worrisome trend as a lack of parenting skills is passed on to the next generation.  Unless there is intervention, and something is done to break the cycle, the kids will  become as their parents, if not worse.  The consequences are obvious – youths joining street gangs in search of family, and engaging in criminal activity–drugs, robberies and prostitution--for income and survival.  Their generation will be more troubled adults and desperate kids who threaten our safety and security because they have nothing to lose.  

We also heard stories of parents buying cigarettes for their under-age children, drinking and doing drugs with them. This is one way to ensure that kids do not “rat” on their parents’ bad or illegal habits. Some parents gave drugs to their children to sell to friends and supplement their welfare income.  Others regularly bought alcohol for under-age kids (as runners) for commission, or received free beer for the service.  The temptation is too much for many people to resist if you are on low income or strapped for cash. 
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Such lifestyles make it difficult to build positive relations between youth and the police, and undermine the success of local safety initiatives and programs.  Police Officers stationed in local neighbourhood offices told us that they were having a hard time recruiting kids to participate in recreational activities they organized. Obviously, if parents are involved in illegal activities, and the kids are also participating or joining in the acts, it is unlikely that the children will be encouraged to hang around and play games with law officers.
 
Some younger girls working ‘the streets’ came to the Centre for free donuts donated by Tim Hortons.  Many were Aboriginal,  victims of sexual abuse, had mental health problems or suffered from addictions.  In spite of the risks with their lifestyle, some rationalized that they chose who to sleep with, and got paid.  When they were abused, it was rape, and they got nothing but pain.  According to Wawatay News (June 17, 2004), up to 75 per cent of sex crimes committed in First Nations communities are against females under the age of 18, 50 per cent of those are younger than 14 years of age, and the incidence of sexual abuse in some communities is as high as 75 to 80 per cent for girls under eight years old. These unfortunate circumstances contribute to creating a pool of young abused women vulnerable to prostitution.

When some of the kids started doing drugs, they got them for free (as sampling). It was fun, and helped them to escape personal problems.  Now they are addicted, out of school, and have to sell their bodies to feed the habit. There are sad stories of young girls being forced by boyfriends to sleep with strangers in exchange for drugs, or to settle unpaid drug debts. They were afraid to say no, or leave the abusive relationship for fear of being beaten up, and abused even more. With no safer ways to escape the situation, had very limited options to turn to, many felt trapped, and some contemplated suicide to end it all.

The consequences have profound social implications as many of the young women are already single mothers.  The children are often abandoned, and risk having mental health problems due to their parents’ alcohol, drug, and substance abuse.  This contributes to an ever increasing number of kids in care and at risk, who end up in correctional facilities. 

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Racism was mentioned many times over.  The problem is wide spread, and this is why the RMYC posted a code of conduct at the barbecues to make everyone feel welcome, avoid unnecessary tension, and reduce the potential for conflict. The problem is wide-spread, and is mostly polarized between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginals.  The issue tends to take an economic status/class’ or lifestyle dimensions among some people. 

Taking our Centre for example, young people of all backgrounds hangout together and learn to get along.  Things change drastically when the same youths go out on to the streets. They avoid drunks, pen-handlers, strangers or anyone making passes at them or bothering them regardless of race, age, or gender.  Behaviour and bad habits, rather than race alone, are the main reasons they give for discriminated against other people.  

The Youth Council acknowledges the presence of homeless people, those living in poverty, addicts (junkies), and the mentally ill residing in the southcore. The numbers are continually rising, and the new Shelter House is always full and very busy.  At the same time, the destitute are becoming more daring, coasting shoppers and begging for money, cigarettes, or food.  This has become so common now that it is a normal scene at our Youth Centre.  Unfortunately, some of the people seem to be beyond redemption, and do not feel like helping themselves to deal with their issues. They do not seem to care about anything else in life–even their children--except feeding their addiction habits.

Alcohol and drug abuse can lead to violence, robberies, assaults and petty crimes that are rampant in poor neighbourhoods. News and police reports highlight the extent of the problem in the city.  As confirmed by the youth who participated in the focus groups, things are deteriorating, and in the south-core, and outsiders from the area are scared to hang around the neighbourhood after dark.  Even parents of our Youth Council officers do not want their children to use the Brodie Street Bus Terminal to come to or from the Youth Centre.  They give them rides, or insist that alterative transportation be arranged for safety reasons.  It confirms a deteriorating perception of the situation as this was never the case when the Centre first relocated to the southcore.

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Littering is another disgusting problem in poor neighbourhoods. Garbage is everywhere, and what is alarming is the type of litter. Next to flyers, food wrappers, pop cans and coffee cups, are discarded needles. This shows the extent of the drug problem and potential health risks to children.  A growing appetite for drugs fuels crime and violence associated with criminal youth gangs, who, unless they are stopped, have the potential to take over and terrorize neighbourhoods.  Something needs to be done now to break the cycle and stop passing the negative cycles to future and successive generations. 

Last but not least is the problem of poverty.  Children are victims of circumstance.  Like race, their economic status is not a matter of choice.  If the parents are poor, the kids will naturally live in poverty.  This is a growing problem in Canada.  The number of kids living in poverty in the midst of affluence in our society is increasing, and tends to self-perpetuate.  According to Statistics Canada, in 2001, one in six children (1,071,000) experienced poverty.  And from what we saw in the neighbourhoods, a majority of the kids are surrounded by poverty.  Not addressing this problem puts more kids at risk of joining gangs and being involved in criminal activities for survival.

We are aware that children from poor families, like all other kids,  are exposed to same material affluence such as clothes, toys, good food, etc. advertised on television, magazines, radio, flyers, supermarkets and shops.  They also see their peers with designer clothes, and the latest electronic gadgets.  Because they lack money, many resort to crime–selling drugs, stealing, robbery etc. to get what they want.  

Boredom and having nothing better to do raises the risk factor among children and  youth.  Poor kids face barriers to participate in organized sports, various recreational activities, and mainstream entertainment due to a lack of transportation and related costs. As some parents told us, neighbourhood kids lack structured activities and supervision, and this often results in getting into trouble with the law.  This is a great concern as many of the poor parents are themselves struggling to survive.  

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Poor kids are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, and may engage in risky behaviour to survive. Those with physical and mental health problems are often at risk of harming themselves or others. Some kids told us that, the only way they get attention is when they cause problems or get into trouble. Because children and youth cannot vote, there is no incentive for politicians to act on our wishes, unless our parents and other concerned adults champion our cause and use their vote to pressurize action.  Unfortunately, many poor families do not exercise their right to vote, thereby failing their kids in this regard.  Probably, this is why there is not much action on Thunder Bay Children’s Charter.

Rationale for Action:

The RMYC is concerned about the impact of what is happening in the neighbourhoods on the quality of life for children and youth.  Many have had horrendous experiences and do not have parents as positive role models. They lack manners and lifeskills to function properly in our society.  Their situation is so bad that they do not stand a chance to make it in school.  Some have lost hope to cope, and feel that life in ‘the system’ where their basic needs such as food, shelter, nurturing are met, is much better that at home. 

Society cannot give up on these kids.  Many are already in care, as a first step to show that they deserve a second chance for a better life. Using information from the barbecues,  best practises learned from other experience, and some background research, we have come up with some resolutions the RMYC feels can help to make a difference. 

Due to the nature of this project and the focus on residential areas, we have directed our recommendations to Thunder Bay City Council.  As the first level of government for all community residents, City Hall should be proactive, and prioritize the issues to act on.  Thunder Bay already has a Children’s Charter as a blue-print for action to address issues that put kids at risk.  With political goodwill, this can be the City’s a mandate to enhance the quality of life for children and youth.  By promoting the well-being of all kids, the City will also be acting pro-actively to cut down on delinquency and make our community safer.

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RECOMMENDATIONS 
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!”

The RMYC has been privileged to participate in various consultations and research projects for different Ministries, social service agencies on the status of children and youth. We have used this wealth of information to cross-reference the recommendations below.

1. 	Thunder Bay City Council should look at issues facing neighbourhoods identified in this report critically, and liaise with Thunder Bay Police for guidance to tackle the violence, alcohol and drug abuse.  The City should provide resources to ensure that the Neighbourhood Police Offices are adequately staffed to respond to calls, and help to prevent crime, and liaise with Social Services, and Recreation to develop strategic plans to counter negative social environments that breed problems.

•	The RMYC is prepared to meet with Councillors interested to get more details on this report and our ideas to improve the situation.  The Youth Council is also willing to serve as a conduit to help build trust between the kids and the police in the neighbourhoods. Barbecues and other social events that bring police and youths together can pave ways to hold more initiatives that build bridges, and enable police officers to organize more recreational activities with broader youth involvement.       
2. 	City Council should build on “cool” things identified in the neighbourhoods, and engage parents and children ready to join hands as stakeholders to create safer, cleaner and better neighbourhhods.  

•	Since most of the people in the impoverished neighbourhoods and housing projects  are unlikely to attend ward meetings, Councillors should endeavour to visit them in the neighbourhoods, and seek their ideas for solutions to the problems they face.  The RMYC is willing to work with City Hall to host similar barbecues, and give Councillors a  chance to meet with the  people, learn about their plight first-hand, and show that we care for them and their children..
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3. 	Thunder Bay City Council, Thunder Bay Social Services, and the Thunder Bay District Housing Corporation should work together to develop the capacity of local volunteers at Academy, Limbrick, and Windsor housing projects, and mobilize residents to act on issues such as developing a code of conduct and helping with curfew enforcement, organizing area clean ups, welcoming new residents, home maintenance, neighbourhood orientation, planning activities for kids, and so forth.

•	City Council should support the development of local volunteer groups to over-see welcome receptions, local safety, security, cleanliness, home maintenance, help to organize workshops, recreational activities, etc. The City should invest funds to provide leadership and organizational development training for residents interested to assume responsibilities for the well-being of their neighbourhoods. Having organized the barbecues and met some of the people, the RMYC is willing to help identify potential candidates to form steering committees in their areas.

4. 	Thunder Bay City Council and the Thunder Bay District Housing Corporation should collaborate to establish alcohol and drug-free public housing units/projects for families wanting to abstain from alcohol and drugs, and those coming from alcohol or drug addictions treatment. This would prevent after-treatment celebrant drinking parties, and protect the kids. Service agencies would be able to focus on providing appropriate services, programs and supports that promote sobriety, and enable children and youth to grow up in safer neighbourhoods where they can concentrate on schooling sheltered from the negative influences of addictions.

•	Having alcoholics and drug addicts in the same areas will make it much easier to concentrate and deliver the social programs, treatment services and supports they desperately need. This will help to prevent problems from expanding to other areas  (the rotten potato syndrome), and affecting innocent victims.. In addition, police officers, addiction workers , child welfare agencies, counsellors, church groups, etc  will be able work with those who need help, and monitor the actions of chronic alcoholics, junkies, bootleggers and drug-dealers on kids
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5.	City Council should review the mandate of Youth Zone in the context of Thunder Bay’s Children’s Charter and current realities. The program should be expanded to needy areas and engage marginalized kids in poor neighbourhoods from being further alienated.  Youth Zone should recruit talented young leaders and role models from their respective neighbourhoods and train them to connect and communicate with their peers to promote positive change.  The program should be more than recreation, and include nutrition, lifeskills, cognitive skills, presentations, workshops on manners, character development, risky behaviour, social values and other topics of mutual interest. Incentives such as pizza and snacks must be included to encourage community service and volunteering to promote civic pride.

•	The RMYC learned from the Ontario Government’s  ‘Review of the Roots of Youth Violence’, consultations that hungry kids to not play ball. Just as educators have learned that hungry students do not do well in school, programs such as Pro-Kids are great for kids whose basic needs such as food, shelter etc. are met. Many in impoverished homes cannot take advantage of recreational programs because they are too hungry, and this leaves them vulnerable to risks and street influences. Providing snacks with recreational activities , just as schools offer breakfast, can engage these kids. Once you have them, they can talk about other issues in their lives, the risks and can be engaged to be part of the solution to problems. The RMYC used the barbecues and included games to get to the kids.  It enabled us to connect with them, establish trust, and get them to tell us their stories. RMYC would be interested to co-host similar events for Youth Zone to get more youth input.
 
6.  	Thunder Bay City Council should commit a percentage of Casino revenues to promote the Children’s Charter, and focus on proactive prevention strategies to break  negative cycles. The City should provide financial support to local charities working in troubled neighbourhoods to initiate youth-led projects targeting disadvantaged kids, and involve them in positive activities that make a difference. Partnering with volunteer groups will expand the delivery of services and provide more programs to needy children and youth at low cost.  

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•	Many local charities doing community service are suffering since the Thunder Bay Casino opened downtown.  More time is spent trying to raise funds to maintain services, instead of helping clients. Children and youth are missing out by not getting  help they need. Funding from City Hall would show appreciation for the worthwhile services volunteers are dedicating to the well-being of our community. This will go a long way to reach out and benefit  more kids.

7. 	City Council should work through the newly established office of the Aboriginal Liaison Officer to liaise with the Thunder Bay Aboriginal Inter-Agency Council and convene forums to discuss the over-representation of the homeless, unemployed, addicts, juvenile offenders, youth street gangs, school drop-outs, mental health, etc. among Aboriginal people, and develop strategic plans to tackle the problems.

•	Statistics Canada reports reveal that: * Aboriginal people represent 3 per cent of adult Canadians but 16 per cent of all federal prisoners (and 43 per cent for the Northwestern Ontario-Prairie region, and about 85 per cent in the Kenora -Thunder Bay area). *30 percent of all children in care are Aboriginal.*More than 80 per cent of young offenders in federal  institutions have below grade 10 education; 65 per cent have less than grade 8. * More than 50 per cent of the current population in federal institutions were under the influence of alcohol and drugs when they committed offences that led to their incarceration. * About a quarter of all those incarcerated committed drug-related crimes, and 20 per cent have a history of mental health disorders.* Eight out of ten young offenders have long-standing substance abuse problems. * 80 per cent of offenders enter federal institutions with some type of substance abuse problem, and many have multiple addictions. *Aboriginal gangs and traditional biker gangs are the most prevalent gangs inside institutions, where they pose a serious threat to staff and orderly operation of the facilities.  These issues facing the City’s growing Aboriginal population impacted by the legacy of residential schools need to be discussed and local solutions found to prevent this disturbing trend being perpetuated to next generations..  
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8. 	City Council should initiate and support the development of a “Welcome Wagon” program to welcome Aboriginal people to  the City, and provide resources to help them adjust to the urban environment, ease transition into our neighbourhoods, and offer orientation to living in public housing units.  Otherwise, the cultural divide with Aboriginal people will continue to get worse, and racial tension will undermine prospects for social stability and economic investment.

•	Aboriginal people have the fastest growing population in Thunder Bay. With over ninety First Nations reserves in the region, more Aboriginal people are moving to the city for education, healthcare, employment, and higher quality of life. Some criminals banished from their reserves also end up on city streets. Those new to the city have a hard time adapting to urban life. Therefore, it is imperative that the City formalizes their reception to our community, instead of leaving it to Police officers to act as front-like reception workers. 

9. 	City Council should support the Multicultural Youth Centre as a model youth-led drop-in resource for consultations on youth issues, and a training centre for anti- racist socially-conscious young leaders, and positive role models who can work with peers in local neighbourhoods, and recreation centres to organize activities that enhance the quality of life for children from all backgrounds and our community. 
 
•	The RMYC’s work has been adversely affected by declining bingo revenues after the  Casino opened.  Financial assistance from the City’s casino funds can help the Centre to open regular hours, run after school activities with proper supervision and provide proactive youth-to-youth programs and services

10. 	The City should lobby both the federal and provincial governments, the business community as well as fundraising agencies and foundations for more prevention-oriented funding to support innovative programs targeting children and youth to reduce risk factors and potential problems that have a negative impact on society.
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•	City Council should fight to reverse federal and provincial downloading with convincing arguments for more funding to support prevention initiatives targeting children and youth. We should be proactive about our safety and security, or we will all pay heavily in human pain and suffering, and the high policing, legal, and incarceration costs for increasing numbers of disenfranchised youth with nothing to lose--who engaged in crime and violence, join criminal youth gangs, and perpetuate the cycles of bad parenting, and dysfunctional homes. With a formal apology for the harm done by residential schools, more funding should go to municipalities to help growing numbers of abused Aboriginal migrants in our city heal.

11.	City Council should lead join the campaign to improve the reputation of the Ogden/ Simpson/South-core by moving the Beer Store located near the corner of May and Bethune Streets from the high density residential area to an area that allows better monitoring of the ‘beer traffic’, alcoholics, runners, under-age drinkers who currently hang around the neighbourhood lane-ways for someone to buy them booze.

•	For a safer neighbourhood, and for the sake of children, City Council should negotiate the re-location of the Beer Store to another area.  This idea worked when the Liquor Store was moved from Vitoriaville Centre Mall to the Inter-City area. The move got rid of the drunks and ‘runners’ hanging around the mall area.

12.	Litter is contagious, City Council should fund pilot initiatives with Litter-Free Thunder Bay to engage kids in community clean-ups. Littering kids often learn it from parents,  and the cycle has to be broken.  Providing incentives such as snacks to thank kids picking up garbage can train and inspire more children not to litter.   

•	Supporting programs that encourage kids to pick up garbage in neighbourhoods teaches them cleanliness and promotes civic pride.  The City can not stand by and let the next generation of city residents ruin our community’s image with garbage. Youth-corps or similar initiatives through schools must be promoted to motivate and mobilize youth to participate in community clean-ups for a neat and tidy city. 
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CONCLUDING COMMENTS 
“If you do what you’’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten”Anthony Robbins

Children and youth are the greatest human resource for the future.  In order for society to raise ideal citizens, and realize the benefits, we must invest in proactive, prevention-oriented programs, services and supports that enable all kids to realize their potential.  

The RMYC’s mandate is to advance the status of children and youth, and we believe that kids should be protected from harm and exposure to negative lifestyles. The profiles provided in this report present disturbing feelings of neglect, abandonment, helplessness and a sense of hopelessness for growing numbers of children and poor neighbourhoods. What is occurring in some areas of our city needs to halted and reversed.  Things should not be allowed to deteriorate as has happened in cities such as Winnipeg and Vancouver where youth street gangs, and addicts/junkies have taken over some neighbourhoods.  

Something as simple as a community barbecue and kids games enabled us to pull people together. We developed positive relationships, talked about issues, and shared ideas to deal with concerns. The RMYC believes that youths should be included as part of the solution to problems. We use a youth-to-youth approach to engage and mobilize children and youth as stakeholders on matters that affect them.  The ripple effects are far-reaching when young leaders and role models are trained to reach out to peers and work together to make a difference. The impact is remarkable when kids are empowered to help each other deal with social class, racial discrimination, and other barriers that divide us.

The RMYC is interested to work with City Hall, concerned parents, social service agencies and other community groups to further the cause of children and youth at risk in troubled areas.  Thunder Bay’s Children’s Charter must serve as a proactive strategy to improve the well-being of all children. The safety and security status of our city has a direct impact on the quality of life, business confidence and prospects for prosperity.  Kids today are the citizens and taxpayers of tomorrow.  Helping them to realize their potential is a worthwhile investment in building united resilient communities for a better and brighter future.   

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FOLLOW-UP PLANS 

As mentioned earlier in this report, many parents wanted to know what we would do with all the information they gave us.  We promised to prepare a summary report and drop the leaflets in every home in the public housing neighbourhoods.   

We also promised them that we would share the information with City Hall. The RMYC wants to follow-up on the recommendations that enhance the Children’s Charter.  We are prepared to assist City Council in whichever way possible to advance the cause of social justice among children and youth caught in the cycle of poverty and despair.

The RMYC is interested to develop other youth-led projects for YouthScape.  Current plans include organizing ‘Girl Power Groups’ in schools, developing a team of peer leaders to welcome and work with Aboriginal students attending school in the city this fall, and launching a Stop Racism/Anti-Racism/Race Relations and social justice campaign.

Work continues with Lakehead Public Schools, Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board, Northern Nishnawbe Education Council, and ESC de La Verendrye on a project to engage students in a safer schools campaign. The Youth Council and Lakehead Public Schools co-hosted a “Schools Acknowledging Safety Solutions by Youth”  conference last June, and we are finalizing recommendations to create safer schools.

The RMYC is always developing teams of young volunteers to run the Youth Centre.  We are creating peer leaders to co-ordinate after-school programs, supervise youths using computers, kids watching movies, and students doing homework.  There are plans to  organize recreational activities, workshops, presentations, sharing circles, and other positive things that engage, involve and empower youths.  But, we need our own space to bond, be creative, do fun things together as well as brainstorm ideas to deal with issues of mutual concern.  Our greatest challenge today, is securing funding to keep the youth drop-in services open, and cover Centre’s heating expenses during the long cold winters.
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Thunder Bay Children’s Charter

All children deserve basic rights and freedoms. A fair share of society’s resources must be devoted to ensuring this. Families are responsible for raising their children. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child clearly states that working in partnership with communities, all levels of governments have a duty to assist families to fulfill their responsibilities.*

All Thunder Bay children deserve:
* 	a quality of life that meets their physical, intellectual, emotional and social needs

•	to have enough nutritious food every day.
•	

•	to have a safe and comfortable place to live..
•	

•	quality child care and/or early education programs.
•	

•	to have safe places to play, and access to affordable recreational activities.
•	

•	quality primary, secondary, and affordable post secondary education.
•	

•	the resources to ensure life-long good health.
•	

•		to be served by governments that put the health and well-being of children first 
	by ensuring enough funding for children’s programs.

•	to be protected from neglect and abuse.
•	

•		to be safe from exploitation.**

* For the purposes of this Charter children are defined as being from birth to eighteen years of age.
** For the purposes of this Charter being exploited means to be used unfairly by someone else to meet their own needs.

Adopted by City Council for the City of Thunder Bay,   June 14, 2004		www.thunderbay.ca
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A Message from Thunder Bay Children’s Advocate

The City of Thunder Bay’s new strategic plan calls for the need to improve our quality of life. A vital part of accomplishing this Mission is the development of a Children’s Charter and Child Advocate for the City of Thunder Bay in consultation with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit and other interested groups. On Feb. 16, 2004, City Council appointed me as the Children’s Advocate for the City of Thunder Bay. 

The Children’s Advocate is an elected official who, in cooperation with the Thunder Bay Children’s Charter Coalition, will advocate on behalf of children’s needs with all levels of government, and the private sector as appropriate. I am honoured to serve in this important ne