The youth center in St. Marys is letting its visitors direct some programming after opening without COVID restrictions for the first time since 2019.
The space inside the town’s Pyramid Recreation Center officially swung open its doors this month when students began returning to school. With so many new faces now able to visit for the first time, Drummond said staff have been taking suggestions about what activities kids want to see over the next 10 months or so.
“As much as we want to say we’re past COVID, it probably impacted the youth (to) some degree or another, so we have a suggestion box out there to see what they want and we’re going to piggy back off that ,” said Darcy Drummond, the town’s recreation manager. “I think it’s really neat to see the youth take the lead in what they want to do, and then the staff just come in and help.”
Before the pandemic, the youth center in St. Marys was hosting around 30 kids after they were done school. When the center was open, capacity restrictions limited those numbers over the past couple years, but Drummond is now anticipating a return to normal.
Guest presentations free or at a reduced cost for for youth center members, are another new feature the town is exploring. Drummond said she’s reaching out to people interested in hosting classes focused on things like arts and crafts and physical fitness.
“A stronger community has everyone working together for the betterment of quality of life and I think that’s the point of this youth centre, to let them explore themselves in a safe and inclusive way while also allowing the community and the businesses to give back,” Drummond said. “It might end up in future employment or … (new) interests and hobbies.”
The youth center in St. Marys receives funding from United Way Perth Huron. Memberships are $40 for the year, but grants are also available for eligible visitors who might not otherwise be able to afford one. More information is available on the town’s website.