Vancouver City Council |
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: November 17, 2003
Author/Local: Booth Palmer 604.257.8431
RTS NO. 3775
CC File No. 4209
Meeting Date: December 4, 2003
TO:
Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
FROM:
General Manager, Parks and Recreation
SUBJECT:
Olympic Youth Legacy: 2003 Events
RECOMMENDATION
THAT Council approve a one time only addition of $ 20,000 to Park Board=s 2003 Operating Budget to implement winter demonstration programs aimed to expand access to community arts, sport and recreation programs; to be funded from Contingency Reserve.
CITY MANAGER=S COMMENTS
The City and its community partners deliver an extensive range of sport, recreation and arts programs to and with Vancouver=s 100,000 youth under 19 years of age.
Despite these established service networks across the city health, education and community officials advocate strongly that more must be done to enable today=s children and youth to become active, healthy citizens of tomorrow. The City is well positioned to coordinate this initiative with new and existing partners.
The Mayor=s Olympic Forum Report echoes this message and addresses community needs by proposing an initial range of activities that will provide more active opportunities for youth. This report is coming forward to Council at this time to capture the spirit of a winter celebration on ice, and to introduce the Olympic Youth Legacy. A joint planning process with staff will continue to develop innovative programs.
Finance has identified that funds required to support this initiative are available in 2003 from Contingency Reserve. The City Manager recommends approval of A.
COUNCIL POLICY
There is no applicable Council policy.
SUMMARY
The Youth Legacy 2003 proposes to get Vancouver=s children, youth and families active by enjoying the benefits of ice skating and art activities in a festive atmosphere over the December holiday period. These demonstration programs are the first of many more Olympic >legacy= activities being planned for 2004 and 2005 by a joint task group of city staff which will involve consultation with children, youth, parents, schools, community agencies and others.
PURPOSE
This report seeks Council approval for funds in the year 2003 to implement pilot program designed to capture the Olympic spirit and get an early start on living the legacy which the 2010 Winter Games bring to Vancouver. This initiative specifically responds to recommendations resulting from a series of public forums regarding the Olympics and sustainability hosted by the City in 2003 as outlined in the Mayor=s report, Ensuring Vancouver=s Olympic and Paralympic Legacy.
BACKGROUND
Reports from a variety of sources indicate that 58% of the youth of British Columbia are not sufficiently active for optimal growth and development. Physical activity plays a key role in improving mental, social and physical health, and in preventing disease, disability and premature death. Decreasing level of youth activity is a major health concern which has been addressed by the Romanow Report, and in B. C.=s Active Communities Initiative, which represents the concerns of professionals from the health, education and recreation disciplines. The fact that girls are less active than boys, and that physical activity alone will not engage all young people, underscores the need for a broad and inclusive strategy to address these issues.
The Report from the Mayor=s Forums on the Olympics in February 2003 reflected similar concerns, offering a series of recommended actions, targets and resources for consideration by Vancouver=s community leaders. (See Appendix A)
The Park Board, at its meeting of March 24, 2003, passed a series of recommendations designed to bring together staff from city departments, the Vancouver School Board and other organizations in partnership with community leaders and with youth involvement, in order to raise the issue of the health and well-being of Vancouver=s young citizens. The Board passed several motions in support of the strategy.
At its meeting of October 20, 2003, the Board, Afurther encouraged staff to pursue discussions with city staff, and to report back in one month on action that has been taken to date@.
At the City Council meeting of October 21, 2003, Council received for information a report on the Implementation Plan for Olympic Legacy which outlined Council strategies, proposals and time lines for implementing the Mayor=s recommendation from his report titled Ensuring Vancouver=s Olympic and Paralympic Legacy.
DISCUSSION
Vancouver=s 100,000 young people under 19 years of age have access to an extensive array of arts, cultural, social and recreational programs and services. Activities range from services provided directly or funded by city departments, to those offered by schools, community groups and others. Despite these efforts, the need for new and innovative approaches to encourage youth activity and involvement has never been greater.
City staff from Cultural Affairs, Social Planning and the Park Board has begun meeting to forge alliances and bring together their programs, relevant partners and extensive community networks to collaborate on this important undertaking. Key community partnerships are important to the plan. Specific focus is required to maximize opportunities for co-ordination and integration of child and youth initiatives to maximize the benefits for young people and achieve efficiencies. The collaborative framework for the overall Olympic Youth Legacy initiative is under development. The entire process will be rooted in consultation with relevant stakeholders, especially youth and families.
The 2003 winter holiday season provides an impetus for immediate actions on a city-wide scale to launch the Olympic Youth Legacy and encourage youth and families to get active this winter. The proposed program is designed to capture the Olympic spirit through winter celebrations and raise public awareness of the broader initiative.
Free Holiday Skating
During the school holiday period from Sunday December 21, 2003 to Sunday January 4, 2004, a series of 16 free skating sessions will be held at 8 public ice rinks. Free admission and free skate rentals will ensure broad access to citizens of any age.
A major Skate Kickoff Event will launch the new initiative, scheduled for Sunday December 21st at Trout Lake Arena, beginning at 1:30 pm. This event will be held in conjunction with the arena=s popular Family Winter Fantasy on Ice event and coincides with the beginning of our first winter solstice leading to the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Skating and special event attractions involving arts and culture promise this to be a memorable event for citizens of all ages.
The Kerrisdale and West End Arenas will also feature free holiday skate special events for all ages on the afternoon of December 21st.
The complete schedule for the 2003-2004 Free Holiday Skating is attached as Appendix B. Sessions titled Youth or Child/Youth welcome skaters of all ages, and will feature music preferred by youth.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
A total of $ 20,000 required to fund this initiative is to be provided from Contingency Reserve. The budget details are as follows:
Category
Purpose
Costs
Staffing
Auxiliary Arena support staff
$ 4,300
Promotions
Advertisements, flyers, etc.
$ 2,500
Lost Revenues
Admissions, skate rentals
$ 6,300
Materials and Supplies
Equipment rentals, goods and services
$ 2,400
Arts Participation
Performers and Artist=s Fees
$ 4,500
Totals
$ 20,000
CONCLUSION
Youth are becoming increasingly inactive, and numerous reports indicate that civic government can play an important role in addressing this issue. The 2010 Olympics provides a unique opportunity to develop a lasting legacy for the benefit of current and future generations of Vancouver youth. Youth Legacy 2003 proposes to implement winter holiday free skating in 2003 as a demonstration of potential benefits which can result in higher participation of children and youth in sport, physical activity and the arts that will contribute significantly to active living and healthier young people. This immediate undertaking will launch a collaborative approach among city departments, Boards and community partners to engage in work in the near future to develop and implement a strategy to create a Vancouver Olympic Youth Legacy for Sport, Physical Activity and the Arts for lasting benefits.
An early start in capturing and celebrating the Olympic spirit will provide Vancouver the foundations for the best winter Olympic games ever. Vancouver=s children and youth will benefit from an enriched community environment where sport, physical activity and the arts are fundamental elements in their healthy development leading to a generation of youth well prepared to excel as athletes, performers, organizers, volunteers and leaders in 2010.
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