On the afternoon of Nov. 18, a little more than 30 Bowen Island students, aged 12 to 14, gathered at the youth centre, responding to an invitation to imagine the future for young people on our island.
The event was sponsored by the municipality, the Bowen Island Community Foundation, the Community School Association and First Credit Union.
Those in attendance were treated to refreshments and asked a number of questions about living on Bowen; questions about where they are most likely to spend time, where they feel most safe, what they’d like to see in the future, what they are most passionate about, and how they could contribute their talents to both the youth of Bowen and the community as a whole.
Where do they like to hang out? The most common responses were in the Cove, Mount Gardner, at home, at the beach or on the water, and in the forest (clearly a strong interest in engaging with our natural environment). Where do they feel safe? Responses were pretty much the same locations: the Cove, Pebbly Beach, Grafton Lake, Mount Gardner, and at home.
What does their ideal Bowen Island look like? The youth offered more varied responses to this question, but greater engagement in a range of activities was the key: a skate park, a rugby team, a public pool, a hospital, a movie theatre, an indoor trampoline, a recreation centre, and a skating rink were the most popular choices.
We asked what it is that makes Bowen Island a special place to live, what separates us from many other communities? The answers to this one were quite varied: our many public areas, our deer, our soccer field, lots of water access, trails and trees, mountains and beaches, a close and safe community, the dock dance, movies under the stars, the best baseball team ever, musicians, a boring winter, nature, a chocolatier and, of course, a ferry that connects us to the mainland.
And what do our youth really care about? What do they want to focus on for both youth and the community more generally? Again, we heard many different responses, but there was a very strong emphasis on developing recreational options: more facilities for play, a skating rink, more options for horses and better safety for them, an indoor pool and recreation centre, and a skateboard park.
Family, friends, education and nature are also critical, they said, along with a movie theatre, having fun and leading a well-balanced life, and contributing to public safety – keeping our crime rate low.
What are the next steps? In the new year, an open house will be held, with an invitation to all youth to both plan and build upon some of these ideas, to put together youth projects, learning how they can work with a range of community organizations to accomplish some of the changes that they would like to see. As the headline of the poster for the Nov. 18 event noted, “Bowen Youth Matter.”
