Stuartburn to hold youth study, ‘To me, it’s survival’: Gawronsky

The RM of Stuartburn is looking to do a youth study and the reeve said it’s a matter of survival.

“Survival. To me, it’s survival,” said Reeve Michelle Gawronsky. “If they’re not here, then eventually we will become a ghost town like so many other small rural areas.”

Gawronsky said there has been a loss of the family farm with the industrialization of agriculture in the RM. She said council wants to know what do youth want in their communities to stay there or what will make them return after university.

“After completing our strategic plan, and having the community involved in doing the strategic plan, one of the areas that was suggested that the RM could look into further was in the youth,” she said.

“What do we need to do to keep the youth involved and to keep their interest? What are they looking for in the RM that there’s not really much for them to do here? You know, never mind jobs. There’s nothing for them to do. So what do we need to do?”

The RM received $25,000 from the Ground Up grant, which council is matching. She said a request for proposals has been put out for someone to engage with Stuartburn youth to learn what their needs are.

“We want them invested as much as we’re invested with them,” said Gawronsky.

The reeve said there are about 350 school age children in the RM. She said she will be personally talking with those students from Grades 8 to 12 as she visits schools and will also have discussions with people up to age 25.

“We’re also looking at young adults that are starting their families that have either moved into the area or are wanting to move into the area and what do they need to either come home or to be able to stay,” said Gawronsky.

“Is it jobs? Is it housing? What do they need that’s going to make them feel safe and comfortable to be able to remain in the RM of Stuartburn? So, we’re looking kind of at young adults (too).”

Gawronsky said youth will decide if they want a survey, a public meeting, or another way of letting council know what their issues are and how they want those issues addressed.

She said Stuartburn has been in a transition phase for the past few years.

While for years the bulk of the population has largely been the elderly, recently that number has shrunk to about one third as young families that are looking to live off the grid or off the land have been moving into the RM, as have people commuting in and out of the RM for work.

“We are trying to recognize and accommodate all of the folks that are in our community,” she said.

Gawronsky said council is hoping to publish the results from the study in the new year.

“Because we want to get it right, we’re going to take our time and consult with the community before we decide exactly how we’re going to move forward,” she said.