EDITOR'S NOTE: This article originally appeared on Milton Today Aug. 20.
Sharing a space with the Milton Sports Centre's arenas, gym and pool is a hidden venue for local youngsters to blow off steam, make friends and -- if need be -- find support.
The Milton Youth Space (MYS) is a sanctuary for those 13 to 18. Approaching its first anniversary -- opening in September 2023 -- the local hangout serves as the hub of the Town's overall vision to engage and assist youth.
The Milton Youth Task Force (MYTF), the Youth Awards and the Milton Youth Friendly Network are just some of the ways the Town has built a community for young locals. Youth from Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities have access to resources, whether to meet others like themselves or to get some help.
Many of the municipal services geared toward youth are filtered through the space, a framework that was created with guidance from the Town of Halton Hills.
“I didn’t see a need to fully re-invent the wheel if someone was doing it so successfully so close,” said Town Recreational Coordinator Kelly McKay. She sought out the mentorship of her Halton Hills counterpart, Jennifer Ancona, “knowing that she’s likely navigated some potential difficulties we may encounter maybe had some trials and tribulations she's had to overcome.”
Ancona recalls both of their needs for "supporting youth in our community" as "Regional colleagues."
To that end, Ancona says she provided McKay "with a tour of the Georgetown and Acton Youth Centres where I was able to answer questions related to the space, our programming, staffing structure, collaboration with our community partners and more."
"I mentioned how supportive our council is when it comes to youth initiatives and the importance of partnering with community partners and youth-serving agencies to ensure as many youth needs are met," Ancona also said in an emailed statement.
The inter-municipal crossover has created a space in Milton that many who frequent the youth centres in Georgetown and Acton would find familiar. A television, video games, board games, movies, a ping pong table, a lounge, a kitchenette, a study area and a charging station provided by Milton Hydro are among the amenities.
But just like its neighbouring community, the MYS is here to help with the invisible needs of the youth. Food for Life provides food for those who may go hungry. McKay can direct youth in need of mental health support to the Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK). Those facing or at risk of homelessness can seek help with housing through Bridging the Gap at the youth space. ADAPT is available to those struggling with addiction.
“There’s also Our Kids Network, which is Halton-wide too. They do a lot of different reports on engaging with youth,” McKay explained in clarifying the role data and studies play.
The space is not the only forum for youth voices, however. All this would not have been possible without the help of the Milton Youth Task Force. The same age group, 13 to 18, can join this advisory committee that helps shape decisions at the municipal government level.
“One of the big things here in Milton, to nobody's surprise, is that we're a growing community. The demographic that makes up this community is a young, family-based community,” town councillor Adil Khalqi told MiltonToday. The representative for Ward 3 says the task force regularly asks for more access to recreation like “good parks, quality facilities, quality amenities, and things to do that matter to them and their generation so that they can be proud of the community that they're living in.”
Regional councillor Sammy Ijaz echoed and expanded on his MYTF colleague’s sentiments “One of their biggest things is they want more soccer fields. There are a lot of parents [and their kids] on the wait list. Programs like swimming and soccer and basketball.”
McKay, much like Ijaz and Khalqi with their programs, hopes to expand the MYS’s footprint as well. Currently, there is only one space for youth to meet.
“Once our newest community centre is built, I will be a strong advocate for expanding our youth services to hopefully have a designated youth space, or maybe an inter-generational space where in the morning and afternoon it's for seniors, and in the evening it's for youth,” McKay said in explaining her ambitions for the program.
Further details about municipal programs geared towards youth are on the Town of Milton’s youth page.