Mayor Nolan Crouse defended council’s decision to cut funding to the St. Albert Youth Community Centre (YCC) at the eighth annual Mayor’s Breakfast.
Mayor Nolan Crouse defended council’s decision to cut funding to the St. Albert Youth Community Centre (YCC) at the eighth annual Mayor’s Breakfast.
The June 14 event attracted roughly 125 community members with all funds raised going to the YCC.
“The youth in our community will continue to be well served and I hope there will continue to be a youth centre and a youth society,” Crouse said.
Despite the significant funding cuts, he said there are many opportunities available to the board to ensure operations continue.
He suggested board members consider partnering with other local agencies focused on assisting youth, seek out additional funding sources, or discover another niche that is underserved in St. Albert.
“We will do what we need to do to serve the youth in our community,” said Doug Campbell, board chair and former executive director.
“We’re looking at developing a new business model that considers facility needs, fundraising strategies and innovative programming and the delivery of those programs,” he said.
He said doors will remain open until at least September, adding a final decision as to the future of the centre will be reached by the end of the month.
“We are open for business and we will continue to do so,” Campbell said.
Star support
Former NHL player and St. Albert resident Rob Brown was the keynote speaker at the breakfast and said he supports the work the youth centre does.
He began his junior hockey career at the age of 15 when he made the solo move to Kamloops, British Columbia to play with the Kamloops Blazers.
“I had a dressing room — that was my youth centre; my safe haven,” he said, adding every youth needs a place to be themselves.
“When I look at what this youth community centre does for St. Albert and the youth of St. Albert … I think it’s a moral obligation as a community to give all of these kids the opportunity to succeed,” he said.
Reason for redistribution
City council unanimously decided late last month to redistribute the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) grant money allocated to the YCC starting in 2013.
The FCSS grant is distributed to preventative programs mandated by the province and accounts for $114,183 in 2012, which is roughly one third of the YCCs total annual funding.
“Council has been approving about $600,000 annually for youth programs locally,” said Mayor Nolan Crouse, adding a total of $225,000 was allocated to the youth centre for 2012.
The city pays the lease for the centre’s space at Grandin Park Plaza, which represents another third of the total funding, with the remaining funds generated from other sources.
The decision to redistribute FCSS funds came after the CSAB reviewed the YCCs 2012 funding application. The board initially decided to fund only the first six months of 2012, but that date was extended to the end of the year for transition purposes.
The board gave no reasons as to why the funding should be redistributed, adding the decision stemmed from an in camera discussion. Council is expected to vote on June 18 on a motion to make the report public.
The YCC has more than 800 registered youth with a core group of between 80 and 90 youth using the centre on a regular basis, Campbell said, and has been funded by the city since it first began in 1997.
