HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1999-01-13, Page 28Wednesday, January 13. 1999
r Timep- Advoctte
Community
Ausable Centre lands $100,000 youth employment program
. 25
By Craig Bradford
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
LUCAN — The Ausable
Centre has done it again.
Hutnan Resources
Development Canada
(HRDC) has granted the
Ausable Centre
$100,000 to run a 26 -
week Youth Service
Canada project. The
money will be used to
pay the salaries of a pro-
ject co-ordinator and 10
unemployed out-of-
school 18 to 24 -year-
olds from the Lucan
Biddulph and
McGillivray townships
area.
The project, the first of
its kind in this area, will
have the young adults do
hands-on work in the
community through
exploring and promoting
the area's heritage and
cultural diversities. The
participants will also
work on personalskills
like career planning,
team building and com-
munication skills. The
project hopes to provide
a gateway to the work-
force for the participants
by giving them new job
skills through communi-
ty service.
The project was start-
ed on Dec. 7, 1998, with
the hiring of
project co-
ordinator
A n g y e
McDonald of
Clandeboye.
McDonald, a
Fanshawe
College edu-
cate d
child/youth
counsellor, got the pro-
ject off the ground and
then started a two-week
hiring process to come
up with the 10 partici-
pants who started on
Jan. 4.
The project was offi-
cially announced at a
press conference at the
Ausable Centre on
Friday.
In an interview with
the Times -Advocate,
McDonald said the 10
participants will decide
on projects to improve
the community and
highlight its heritage.
Projects planned so far
include refurbishing the
playground equipment
in Elm St. Park as well
as beautifying the park
with tree planting and
the creation of a her-
itage garden featuring
plants native to the area.
The Elm St. Park project
will be done in conjunc-
tion with the Lucan
Optimist Club.
Other planned projects
include an after school
program for kids, a
Winter Carnival on
March 17, a book club
for kids, as well as orga-
nized youth dances and
'coffee houses' and other
weekend events.
McDonald said the
Youth Service Canada
project ultimate goal is
to create a stand-alone
youth centre.
"They hope to leave
something lasting,"
McDonald said. "We
need to get the kids off
the street and give them
something to do."
The participants' first
project was to come up
with their own official
name and logo. They
have dubbed their pro-
ject Youth Uniting
Communities (YUC) and
had Perth -Middlesex
(Liberal) MP John
Richardson tack on the
final piece of the logo
'puzzle' during a cere-
mony at the press con-
ference.
"It's a worthwhile story
that's happened here,"
Richardson told the
crowd. "It's the people
that makes it work not
the building."
Richardson said suc
cess stories like the
Ausable Centre pave the
way for future growth.
"Some day Lucan
might be a big satellite
city of London," he said.
"You have a great spot
on the -hill looking down
on London."
HRDC programs con-
sultant Ed Miller said
the aim of the Youth
Service Canada pro-
gram, part of
the HRDC's
Youth
Employment
Strategy, is
to provide
community
service by
youth with
youth teams
working
together from a variety
of. backgrounds.
"This is one of our
local examples of a
dream come true,"
Miller said.
Also on hand at the
press conference were
Lucan Biddulph Reeve
Earl French and council-
lor George Marr. French
said it is young people
like those
involved in
Youth Uniting
Communities
who will be
"the leaders
of tomor-
row."
Friends of
the Lucan
Library/Ausable Centre
president Tom
McInerney said the YUC
fits right into the
Ausable Centre's goal of
being a positive force of
unity and support in the
community. He added
the Ausable Centre has
created 30 jobs through
its partnership with the
federal government.
McInerney added forg-
ing' partnerships with
both the federal and
provincial government
will continue to be goals
for the Ausable Centre.
He said the Ausable
Centre is also trying to
create a closer bond to
Lucan Biddulph by
"We need to get the
kids off the street
and give them
something to do."
— ANGYE MCDONALD
YUC PROJECT CO-
ORDINATOR
Youth Uniting Communities. That's what the new youth skills development and community/heritage
development program run out of Lucan Biddulph's Ausable Centre is called. Project participants and others
involved in the project are seen here standing around theYUC logo designed by the project participants.
Counter clockwise from left are: Perth -Middlesex MP John Richardson,YUC participants Cassandra Martin,
Julie Rollings, Jennifer White, Laura Jaques, Rob Stotesbury-Leeson, Carrie Currah, Darryl VanderKant, Derrick
Bouchard, Sarah Marshall,YUC project co-ordinator Angye McDonald,YUC participant Dan McKellar and
Friends of the Lucan Library/Ausable Centre presidentTom McInerney.
applying to the munici-
pality to use the former
Lucan municipal build-
ing.
While the YUC partici-
pants salaries will be
paid by the HRDC grant,
the group will have to
fund -raise the entire
cost of any planned indi-
vidual projects.
Ausable Centre execu-
tive director Rosemary
Gahlinger-Beaune said
the Centre's new focus is
on youth, community
and career development
but the Centre will still
pursue its earlier contri-
butions to the communi-
ty including acting as a
communications and
arts centre for the com-
munity.
"This is one ofour
local examples of a
dream come true:'
— ED MILLER
HRDC PROGRAMS
CONSULTANT
McDonald
said she is
pleased the
HRDC is
"doing
something
pro -active"
for youth .. in
the Lucan
Biddulph-McGillivray
area.
The YUC participants
were all smiles at the
press conference.
"We're very excited,"
Cassandra Martin, 20,
said. "It's new...nothing
like this has h oen done
before (in the Lucan
Biddulph area). We've
lived here all our lives
and now we're getting a
chance to dr things
we've always wanted to
do:"
Jennifer White, 19,
said YUC has come at
the perfect time with the
recent amalgamation' of
,Lucan and Biddulph.
"It's a chance to unite
the old and the new,"
she said.
Rob Stotesbury-Leeson,
23, hopes the experience
and skills learned
through the project will
help him get a job or
find out what he wants
to pursue in further edu-
cation.
"This is a stepping
stone," he said.
Derrick Bouchard, 20,
said he's looking for-
ward to "working in the
community."
"I'm just excited about
this," he said.
" LJ/
Vr
QUALITY TOURS YOU DESERVE
Tired of Shoveling Snow?
Jt'stimefor a Winter Getaway!
Florida .....Twin , 2,495.00
IS Days Dep�ttlog Febnney 6, 20, Mtr� � ZII � No G.S.T.
Arizona .....................Twin $2,635.00
22 Days - Departing February 10, 24 and March 10 Subject to Airtax on 14 Day
14 Days - Departing February 13, 27 and March 13
California Twin $3,165.00
16 Days - Departing February 11, 25, March 11 and 25 G.S.T. & Airtax on Airfare
Myrtle Beach Twin $1, 445.00
10 Days - Departing March 9, 23 and April 10 No G.S.T.
Grenada Agricultural ilwits $1,735.00
Subject to Airtax
8 Days - Departing February 26 only!
Toledo show Tours Twits $ 395.00
3 Days - Departing March 3 for the Paddy Noonan Irish Variety Show No G.S.T.
Caribbean Cruise Train $1,775.00
8 Days - Departing February 6 and March 20 Subject to G.S.T., Air & Port Taxes
Winter Longstays Available
(Florida, Arizona, Palm Springs, British Columbia)
Reservations Through Your Local Travel Agent
For Further information and a Free Copy of
our 25th Anniversary Brochure Call
1-800-265-5530 it 1115M
riw
<.
�11