According to the latest data from Statistics Canada dating from 2006, young people from 0-25 years of age represent 32.3 % of the population of Châteauguay. If we add their immediate families (parents), that have a direct and daily effect on our young people, the percentage increases to 55.7 %.
It is through the “youth” theme at the Châteauguay 2020 Summit that the municipal council hopes to hear from and give priority to the young residents of our community. Our youth represent the creative force, the vigour and the future of our community. As part of this great public consultation, four major themes have been determined by the council, including : sustainable and concrete development, a competent and honest administration, the family, and finally, the youth. Different from the other themes, the “youth” theme is wide–ranging and also includes other topics and subjects. It will however be discussed and treated in a refreshing way that is rarely considered in the decision making process of a municipal administration. Furthermore, it is about the challenge of achieving a proper consultation, and understanding the needs, priorities, concerns and hopes of this group of residents.
For the obvious reasons of special needs and significant differences, we have divided the youth into four (4) groups : early childhood (0-5 years), childhood (6-11 years), adolescence (12-17 years) and young adults (18-25 years).
A dynamic city that is respectful of the environment must have some ability to retain its youth. It is desirable to lessen the exodus by encouraging the youth to build their lives in a municipality that meets their needs. To accomplish this, it is fundamental to understand the reality and hopes of the youth, to recognize their value, and to make this information a major element in considering their future development plans. The information collected will be proposed and analyzed in two (2) phases : first, their present and general appreciation of their municipality, followed by the major challenges and priorities to be considered for the future.
Following a recent pre-consultation that was intended to orientate and determine the subjects that are important to our youth, ten (10) sub-themes were prioritized: safety, recreation, education, employment, the environment, the municipal infrastructures, urban development, access to information, commercial Châteauguay, the social and emotional systems.
One interesting fact is that the City of Châteauguay is the largest seasonal employer in the region. Considering that young people from 16 to 25 years of age are mainly hired for this type of employment, this data is very important to consider. Furthermore, in the summer, with its day camp program, day care service, sailing camp and integration program for children with disabilities, the municipality is actually the main supplier of services to the youth. It should be noted that the operation of its adapted services, covering the entire municipality, makes major use of the places of interest and the municipal and educational infrastructures such as : neighbourhood parks, schools, school yards, water parks, cycling paths, public pools, multi-purpose rooms, performance halls, cultural centre, ecological centre, nautical centre, the Pavillon de l’île, etc. Considering this fact, the level of satisfaction of our young residents is needed to draw a wide-ranging and fair-minded picture of the situation.
To help you join us in researching this subject, here is a list of helpful Internet links.
Québec Portal – Childrens’ rights (laws)
Service Canada – Youth Employment Strategy Programs
Health Canada – Healthy Living, Just for you – Youth
Office de la Protection du Consommateur – OPCéducation
Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux – Youth
Associations des centres jeunesse du Québec
Conseil permanent de la jeunesse
Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport
