Youth advocates warn City about lack of access to community space City of Toronto could be setting itselfup for a dangerous summer June 6" - Toronto — According to youth advocates, the City of Toronto could be setting itself up for a dangerous summer. They point to the regular freezes of the Parks, Forestry and Recreation subsidy program, the “Welcome Policy,’ and the limited number of free “Priority” recreation centres. “Our agency sees youth and families directly affected by the lack of access to Parks, Forestry and Recreation programs,” says Roger McIntosh, Manager of Employment and Community Services at JVS Toronto. “We've seen youth get into trouble in the past because they had nothing to do, and we know their families were waiting for the Welcome Policy.” “The importance of belonging is a fundamental need for all of us,” says Irwin Elman, Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth. “Safe spaces that community centres represent for young people are crucial in meeting that need, I am troubled by the erosion of access to these spaces in Toronto.” ‘The Welcome Policy was frozen from March 25" to June 4" Parks, Forestry and Recreation has stated that the subsidy program will likely be frozen periodically from now on, This means many children and youth will be regularly barred from most recreation programs across the city. “The Welcome policy is frozen for months at atime,” says Jennifer Arango of the Toronto Women's City Alliance “When children and youth are prevented from participating in recreation activities such as summer camp, their mothers lose a crucial form of child care and are forced to stay at home, unable to look for employment or educational opportunities that will help improve their family's quality of life.” Prior to amalgamation, community centres and recreation programs in the old City of Toronto were free. The Welcome Policy was put in place 1999, with the objective of “ensuring all residents year round accessibility to high quality recreation and leisure programs regardless of their ability to pay.” Youth advocates are asking City Council and the Province to intervene, remove the periodic freezes on the Welcome Policy, remove user fees for programs for children and youth across the city and make sure quality youth space and programs are available to all “We want City Council to know thet the City of Toronto could be setting itself up for disaster,” says Karen Sun of the Chinese Canadian National Council, Toronto Chapter. “Youth aren’t choosing this situation, the City and Province are choosing it for them.” 30Please note: Parks, Forestry and Recreation is currently holding public consultations into its five-year Service Plan, The next and last public consultation Thursday, June 9" at 7-00 at Wellesley Community Centre To interview Roger McIntosh from JVS Toronto, please call 416.661.3010 extension 334 or email rmcintosh@jvstoronto. org To interview Irwin Elman, Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth, please email: afeisha james@provincialadvocate on.ca To interview Karen Sun from the Chinese Canadian National Council, Toronto Chapter, please call 416.596.0833 extension 3 or email karen@cenctoronto.ca, To interview Jennifer Arango from The Toronto Women’s City Alliance, please call 647.235.8575 or email info@twea.ca For more background information, please call 647.272.3194