Money grows on (wire) trees at Sarnia youth makers expo

In May, Ferdinand Dunk started making wire trees.

“I just decided to do it one day when I was bored,” said the 18-year-old Corunna.

“Now, I’m making a lot of money.”

Dunk was one of 27 youth artists and artisans selling their creations over the weekend at the Youth Makers Expo, hosted by Sarnia-Lambton Rebound at St. Luke’s Church.

The inaugural expo comes after a recent survey of youth — using Rebound programs, in schools and through social media — asked them what sort of event they wanted to see in the community, said Rebound’s Tiffany D’Angela.

“Overwhelmingly, they said that they wanted a youth makers expo,” she said, noting many also said they started creating shops and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Things for sale at the debut expo Saturday included bracelets, toys, earrings, magnets, space photographs and others, she said.

Izzy Bowen, 10, from Sarnia, was selling her artwork.

“It’s been really good actually,” she said. “Everybody here has been super-nice.”

Like Dunk, this was her first time selling her creations, she said, noting she made her business, Cool Creations, specifically for the expo.

Plans are to keep going, her mom, Heather Brown, said.

“She’s made some contacts today,” she said.

It’s unclear yet whether the expo will return annually, as it was intended as a one-off, D’Angela said.

But strong turnout Saturday means making it annual is worth considering, she said.

“That’s something we would ask the youth as well.”

The event is the product of a $200,000 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant to help connect the community in the fallout of the pandemic, D’Angela said.

Step one was the youth survey that led to the expo, she said.

A second survey was also underway Saturday, asking youth what they want for a second event “within a year” and how Rebound should update its programs, D’Angela said.

“So we can stay current and relevant in what we’re offering, in order to better ourselves and grow with the youth and our community,” she said.

Caregiver input is also being sought, she said.

Options for a second event could be a dance party, cook-off, mental health and wellness fair, or anything really that youth want, she said.

Grant money goes to redeveloping Rebound programs and towards the community events, she said.

“Every year we update our programs,” she said.

Some of Rebound’s 18 programs include theatre, programs for youth in transition, housing support, life choices and the Cinderella Project that provides dresses for proms and graduation.

It’s important to update now, after a bit of a lull in services in recent years amid COVID-19, D’Angela said.

“While Rebound was open all throughout COVID, it wasn’t open in the same way (and) a lot of youth are struggling with that disconnect. . . with being able to find space within their community and find others like them and be heard,” she said.

“And I think that is important for us to have a space where youth have asked for something and then we follow through.”

The expo Saturday raised no money for Rebound, as exhibitors could set up for free and keep all the money from their sales, D’Angela said.

Still, the event helped connect youth “to each other (and) for them to be seen and heard. . . in the community,” she said.

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