In 2020, I initiated a Youth Task Force to bring together youth and youth-serving agencies in Bay Ward to discuss the main issues facing youth at risk due to economic inequalities, especially as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Task Force met about twice a year to keep me updated on emerging issues and to let me know how my office could help to support positive community-based responses. We learned that young people found the necessary restrictions to gathering in person with friends and social networks extremely difficult. There we many challenges associated with home-based learning, especially acute for students whose access to computers and reliable connectivity were inadequate. The reduction of recreational spaces and physical activity options was tough and this led to increased mental health worries and stress. In short, the pandemic was very hard on young people, and we must keep this in mind as part of our recovery efforts moving forward. It is critically important that youth have gathering spaces that meet their unique needs.
We learned about some very impactful outreach and on-line programs being provided by agencies who continued to pivot in response to new ideas for connecting with young people to help them get through the lockdowns and restrictions. I am grateful to our various community houses, the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, Pinecrest – Queensway Community Health Centre, the City of Ottawa’s Integrated Services Teams, Youth Services Bureau, Crime Prevention Ottawa, our local schools and the Ottawa Police Services for their creativity and collaboration. They focused on quick, practical use of shared resources to respond to the ever-evolving challenges the pandemic led to. In the end, the pandemic shone a light on some service gaps in our ward and became a catalyst for greater understanding and some new partnerships that will continue beyond the pandemic. I am gratified to know that a strong collegial network of local agencies, community houses, and city services is in place to respond to what local youth say they need most to thrive beyond the pandemic. I look forward to an ongoing conversation about how my office can support efforts to make Bay Ward a great place for youth to live, study, work and play.