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More than 100 Coast residents turned out Monday night, most over the age of 40, to listen and contribute ideas on what to do about one of the Coast's dwindling resources - young people.
After some damning conclusions about employment prospects and housing affordability for young people in the Sunshine Coast Community Foundation's 2009 Vital Signs report, the Foundation spearheaded a task force to see what could be done.
Monday's meeting was the first chance for the task force to present its draft community plan to attract, retain and engage young adults on the Coast and gather input.
Silas White, task force member and School District No. 46 (SD46) board chair, captured the spirit of the night in his opening speech.
"Have any of you seen the movie Children of Men - where the human race loses its ability to procreate, and all it has to look forward to is extinction? Sometimes I have nightmares like this about the Sunshine Coast," he said.
White said the Coast needs to ditch the label, whether earned or unearned, of 'retirement community' and get the entire community working to rebrand the Coast in the eyes of the world.
"If you're looking for a good place to raise kids, you're probably not going to select a place that has come to call itself a retirement community," he said. "Likewise, if you're looking for work, looking to start up a business or relocate a business, or if you're looking for a good time, you're probably not going to choose a retirement community."
To that end, White said local governments, along with other partners in the community including SD46, the business community, Capilano University, the Coast Community Builders Association, Community Futures and Best Coast Initiatives need to get the word out that the Coast is open for business, expansion of higher education, fun and - what's more - everyone must live up to the new brand.
Three times in his speech, White called for the formation of a Coast-wide economic development strategy.
"This is the year to make it happen, and I believe it will happen. It makes too much sense. Virtually all of the other communities I studied in B.C. and Canada that have succeeded in attracting young people and diversifying their economies have robust regional economic development offices supported by their local governments," he said.
White added that it is incumbent on local government, many of whom were attending the meeting, to encourage more young people to take part in planning process and give more thought to the social and economic problems that come with a lack of young people and families working in the community.
White said co-ordination between all partners - and especially youth -is key, and plans are in place to develop a new social networking site for the Coast's youth to interact, share ideas, provide input for public processes, network professionally and find out what fun things are going down on a given night. The task force aims to have the site launched by June.
And perhaps most important is the involvement of the youth themselves. For this, the task force has struck a sub-committee called VOICE, made up of young people, to keep an eye on the development of the task force's plan and to serve as a pool that local governments can call on for youth involvement in community planning.
Following an introduction to the plan, attendees were asked to gather at separate tables and have targeted discussions on the plan and what it may be lacking. Areas up for discussion included employment, branding, entertainment, social networking and the VOICE group.
VOICE plans hold a follow-up chat to the meeting at Wheatberries, 818 Gibsons Way in Gibsons on Feb. 24.
The Sunshine Coast median age 48.5 - the second highest in the province next to Qualicum Beach.
