By Dianne Cornish FLAMBOROUGH REVIEW STAFF
It has been four years in the making, but on Saturday, June 30, all the hopes, dreams and hard work of
building committee members, community supporters and volunteers will come to fruition with a
groundbreaking ceremony for the Waterdown youth centre.
Hamilton mayor Bob Bratina, Ward 15 councillor Judi Partridge and Ancaster-Dundas-Falmborough-
Westdale MP David Sweet will attend the 10 a.m. celebration along with project supporters and
partners.
Construction of the $1.95-million project, to be operated by Youth For Christ/Youth Unlimited, is
expected to begin in September and open next spring. Located in a new two-storey building on the
northeast corner of Parkside Drive and Hamilton Street, the centre will provide services such as
mentoring, counseling and recreational activities for at-risk youth aged 13 to 19.
“We’ve been anticipating this for a long time; it’s way overdue,” said Marcel Knot, who has served as
youth director for Waterdown and area teens for the past seven years, offering various programs from
his Parkside Drive home. Building committee members Ben van Hoeve and Terry Wilk, who have
helped guide the project through the approval stage for the past four years, agree that the need for a
centre that local youth can call their own is great. And, Arlene Reemeyer-Nagy, satellite director for
Waterdown YFC/Youth Unlimited, also affirms the need for more meeting space teen clubs, more
opportunities to build life-changing relationships with teens and provide “a family-like environment,”
where youth can enjoy a meal together or simply chat with one another about what’s important in their
lives.
“The youth centre will have pizazz and kids will be attracted to it,” van Hoeve said, adding that the
formal site plan application for the project was recently presented to the City of Hamilton for comment
and approval. If all goes according to plan, a building permit could be issued as early as this
September.
Wilk, a landscape architect and volunteer consultant for the project, said the new building, at 7,500
square feet over two floors, will be four times bigger than the house currently occupying the 0.16-
hectare lot. The plan proposes a permeable parking area, or green parking space as well as a
vegetated roof, both of which will reduce storm water run-off on the site. The life cycle of the proposed
roof will be 30 to 50 years longer than a traditional flat roof that lasts about 20 years, he explained.
But it’s the possibilities for new and expanded programming that excite Knot and Reemeyer-Nagy.
“We’ll be able to apply programs currently running and re-introduce some past ones,” Knot said,
pointing out that the main floor will provide room for activities and games as well as a seating area
where youth can do their homework or chat with each other.
Plans also include a snack bar and kitchen, where youth can learn cooking skills and important life
skills, said Reemeyer-Nagy. There’ll also be opportunities to dabble in creative arts, present drama
and music on stage or attend a youth café.
Administrative offices will be located on the second floor, along with meeting space for youth clubs, a
recording studio and off-site classrooms, where daytime instruction can be provided by a qualified
teacher.
The basement will be used for activities like ball hockey, dodge ball or other sports.
A campaign to attract more volunteers and program ideas will be launched in the fall. Among those who
have offered to volunteer is a committed donor to the centre, Orlando De Carlo, a Hamilton Street
resident whose home is directly north of the new building’s proposed site. Early in the planning
process, De Carlo protested the proposal, saying the building was too big for the size of the corner lot
and he had safety concerns about its proximity to the busy intersection as well as parking
accommodations.
But youth centre committee members worked to resolve De Carlo’s concerns and the homeowner said
this week that he supports the centre and recognizes the need for it. “I’m looking forward to attending
the groundbreaking and I’m kind of excited about it,” he said. “It’s much needed for the kids here and it
has been a long time coming.”
When he protested the rezoning almost two years ago, De Carlo explained that he has never been
opposed to a youth centre in Waterdown, but wanted to ensure that traffic and pedestrian safety
concerns were addressed during its planning.
One of the reasons cited for reduced parking spaces on the property is that most youths using the
centre will be students from Waterdown District High School who will be walking to it.
A capital campaign is now “well under way,” Reemeyer-Nagy reported. Fundraising events at Knox
Presbyterian Church and St. James United Church last December and this January helped generate
public interest in the campaign, which has also won support from the Optimist Clubs in Carlisle,
Waterdown and Strabane that have all decided to donate proceeds from this year’s fundraising events
to the youth centre project.
“We are grateful for the support that has begun and honoured that we are partnering with such fine
organizations in our community, with the same goal, to reach our youth,”Reemeyer-Nagy said this
week.