Everywhere you look in Squamish, it seems, there is a stroller with a baby or toddler or two being pushed by a young couple who perhaps recently moved to this rapidly growing community. We’re in the midst of a baby boom, making this one of the youngest municipalities in the province. It’s good news for the future of Squamish and makes it a dynamic, fresh community with bustling playgrounds and many growing schools.
The community’s population grew by 14.6 per cent between 2006 and 2011, making it the town in B.C. with the largest growth percentage between census periods, and many of those new faces are young. Sixty per cent of people here are under age 40. A large group is under age six.
But we can only wonder about potential problems in the future as the children age and have few activities to keep themselves entertained. What can teenagers do in Squamish?
More specifically, what can teenagers do if they’re not interested in sports or if their family does not have the wealth to buy gear for expensive activities such as mountain biking, climbing and downhill skiing?
Squamish has a youth centre that offers field trips to keep teens entertained, but the centre is hidden among the trees, not obvious to the newcomer, and can send only small groups on special expeditions.
Squamish has a vibrant live-music scene, but the bands play at local bars catering to the 19-and-over crowd.
On a positive note, Squamish does have skateboarding parks and plenty of sporting activities and trails for the athletically inclined.
But there is no popular local venue where teens can congregate and keep themselves occupied. They can frequent the fast-food joints and coffee shops, but they aren’t permitted to loiter there for hours.
What Squamish needs is a plan to keep teenagers entertained and out of trouble. Although the previous theatre closed, perhaps it’s time for a new theatre complex showing the latest movies where teens can go with their friends, and it’s time to provide other activities geared not to entire families but to growing children who no longer want to spend most of their hours with mom and dad.
Youth are our future, and we need to plan to ensure we keep them engaged.
– Christine Endicott
