SmartGuelph and the Community Youth Strategy

SmartGuelph is to develop a picture of how we want our
city to grow over the next 25 years, and how we will
manage that growth to shape the character and quality
of the community. In the end, Smart Guelph is intended
to leave this community greater, better and more
beautiful then it was given to us.

The Community Youth Strategy is to develop an enhanced
vision for youth and community-based strategy the
focuses energy, creativity, and community resources on
youth development.

In the SmartGuelph Initial Finding Report, several
youth themes where brought up, focused on and will be
addressed in the final report. Much of these findings
are exactly what a Community Youth Strategy could and
would address over the next 5 years and beyond.

The CYS will give new, improved and additional
opportunities for our youth. Being involved in helping
create, guide and implement the SmartGuelph
initiative, allows for our future taxpayers to have a
voice in our communities present and future.

Some of the findings in the SmartGuelph initial report

fits perfectly into part of what the Community Youth
Strategy is trying to achieve.

In the fifth section of the report “Looking into the
future – Guelph 2027 – our ideal 25 years from now
one the most prominent points is about Youth in our
community and what we would like to see in them in our
community as it grows.

They SmartGuelph report states in its youth theme:
“Increased and improved opportunities for youth and
children, with youth given a stronger voice

It goes on in detail “Youth participate more and are a
part of the community; youth centres and programs in
every neighbourhood group; more youth-oriented
facilities; youth are respected for their
contributions; youth and children are considered in
all planning; are represented at council and have a
stronger voice in the education system; more clubs for
youth; youth mentorship and exchange programs.

These finding fit right into what the CYS is trying to
achieve and expands them to cover many other areas.
Many of the finding in Smart Growth have been around
since the Recreation and Parks Strategic Plan in 1997
and have been raised time after time in various forms,
reports, research and ideas. Much of these have been
attempted to be addressed and have turned over
mediocre results. 

With the Community Youth Strategy, these wants and
needs will be addressed in a more direct way with a
solid plan of action and commitment of support from
the entire city and community.

The SmartGuelph initiative fits into what the
Community Youth Strategy is doing. It gives us a sense
of where the entire community wants to be in 25 years
and gives us the opportunity and tools to make sure
youth are part of the process in helping our city grow
while improving services for youth.