Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Boys and Girls Club of Canada is a leading provider of quality afterschool and out-of-school programs for children and youth. At over 100 years old with 104 clubs, six regional service offices, over 700 locations in 10 provinces and the Yukon, it serves over 200,000 youth from preschool to young adulthood.
Its mission is simple: to provide a safe, supportive place for children and youth to experience new opportunities, overcome barriers, develop positive relationships, build confidence and life skills. Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada are provided in neighbourhoods where they are needed most, including large centres, remote and rural communities, and First Nations.
Each club provides children and youth with programs in physical recreation, nutrition, technology, the arts and personal development. Some clubs provide meals, family support programs, emergency shelter and other supports to children, youth and families in need.
Programs are offered primarily during the afterschool hours when young people are most vulnerable to victimization and becoming drawn into anti-social behaviours, yet many clubs also offer programs during evenings and weekends.
What is unique about the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada is that it is a national organization that provides the following benefits and services such as national reputation, brand, standards and quality assurance; support materials; funding through national partnerships such as WestJet, Sears Canada and Service Canada, to name a few. It also provides national programs and training opportunities and, finally, research and policy initiatives.
As for costs to the families, club fees are affordable and are subsidized or waived for families in need. Upon my analysis the reason I’m bringing this forward today is I believe this model could be adopted in many of our communities throughout the NWT. Therefore, I challenge all NWT communities to review their needs, organize a model and develop the requirements to operate on a provisional basis as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada requires strict membership requirements.
Furthermore, with our Education department piloting two child family resource centres, the addition of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada could be a great opportunity in the education through play approach and fill a much needed gap in our early childhood programs for youth throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
