By Owen Charters, President & CEO of BGC Canada

October 29, 2025

Kids need a place beyond home and school. At BGC Clubs, 160,000 kids find that special place each year.

When we talk about where kids grow up, we often think about two places: home and school. But there’s another place that plays a powerful role in shaping who they become—the ‘third place’.

Why Third Places Matter

The idea of a third place is important. It may have started as an idea, an academic concept of a place to pause between the rigours of school and the reality of home. But it has increasingly become vitally important in an era of screens, mental health challenges, and an ever-changing, always-on society.

A third place is a space that’s neither home nor school, but somewhere kids can belong. It’s where they can be themselves, connect with mentors, and build skills that will serve them for life. And across Canada, no one does that better than BGC Clubs.

BGC Clubs are built around one powerful idea: opportunity changes everything. In a world where kids and youth face growing challenges from stress and isolation to hunger and uncertainty, Clubs provide what every kid deserves: safety, support, and opportunity. Guided by 125 years of experience and across more than 600 communities in Canada, 160,000 young people find a place to belong each year.

RELATED: BGC Clubs want the best for Canadian kids.

BGC Clubs address critical issues that shape the future of young Canadians.

At BGC Clubs, kids find people who care. Through recreation, mentorship, and belonging, Clubs create safe, inclusive spaces where kids can talk, laugh, and just be kids. For many young people, that’s life-changing. It’s a reminder that they are seen, supported, and never alone.

BGC Clubs are where curiosity turns into confidence. From homework help to STEM and arts programs, leadership training to job readiness, BGC Clubs nurture every child’s potential. Kids build real-world skills, and even more importantly, they learn how to believe in themselves.

BGC Clubs step up to make sure kids have access to nutritious meals and snacks. For too many families, putting food on the table is a daily struggle. Kids who are fed can focus, learn, and thrive. Without food security, nothing else is possible.

BGC Clubs give kids a place to go after-school and a path forward for life. They give youth positive outlets and supportive mentors who help them make good choices, stay connected, and build stronger futures—for generations.

BGC Canada’s latest PSA: #1 Third Place for Kids

When home is the first place and school is the second, BGC Clubs are the third place where everything comes together—where kids find belonging, learn life skills, and build the confidence to lead.

The voice of The #1 Third Place for Kids campaign belongs to someone who knows firsthand what it means to belong at BGC. Kayla Grey, a proud BGC Alumni Hall of Fame member, lends her voice and her experience to bring the story to life. Through her work across traditional platforms and social media, she continues to amplify diverse voices and inspire the next generation, just like BGC Clubs do every day.

The third place is a place you choose to belong, not one where you are required. This choice matters, and it’s a safe, desirable place. Clubs provide that space and more—it becomes the space to find opportunities, to grow and flourish. We all need a third place in our lives.

By Sam, Former Club Kid & 2021 Youth of the Year

March 21, 2025

Eight years ago, I came out for the first time in a room full of strangers—and they clapped.

It was the first day of BGC Canada’s Get Loud National Youth Forum. I was standing in a room with other Club kids, including 3 of my Club friends. We were reflecting on the activity we had just completed related to understanding the various obstacles someone encounters daily simply because of their identity.

Having related to the activity on a personal level as I was exploring my own identity, I spontaneously decided to share my truth at the time. To this day, I have no idea what compelled me to share, but what matters is that a group of strangers I’d never met made me feel safe enough to do it.

2S & LGBTQIA+ young people need the safe spaces that BGC Clubs provide

Young people in 2S & LGBTQIA+ communities have always needed safe spaces to explore and express their identity, but they need BGC Clubs now more than ever.

“As young people affected by these harmful ideologies, we are concerned, frustrated, and exhausted. No individual should ever have to debate or justify their existence.”

– BGC Canada’s 2023 National Youth Council

BGC Canada’s mission is to provide safe, supportive places for children and youth to experience new opportunities, overcome barriers, and develop skills for life—no matter their background.

RELATED: Young people deserve a safe place to explore and express their identity

The rise in anti-LGBT hate at government levels in the U.S. has been on the rise for the better part of two years. Fear, hatred, and misinformation continue to run rampant among our neighbours, and Canada is not immune. Hate crimes targeting 2S & LGBTQIA+ communities are on the rise in Canada. Now, advocates across the country are worried about increased anti-trans hate making its way across the border.

As a queer and trans person myself, I can tell you that the Canadian youth in these communities are scared, anxious, uncertain, and they need support.

BGC Clubs play a lifelong role in the lives of young people

Clubs across the country are creating positive spaces, relationships, and conversations that encourage all children and youth to be themselves. BGC Cornwall/SDG played an instrumental role in my upbringing, and I can confidently say if it weren’t for the mentors I met (who I still talk to regularly), I wouldn’t be the same person.

Growing up with a single mom, we leaned on the Club for accessible and meaningful after-school programming. In high school, I still leaned on them for academic support, exploring hobbies, having supper every weekday, and having friends to share those experiences with. The skills I learned to accomplish what I did are skills I still apply in my daily life. Every time I go back to my hometown, I always make sure to visit.

BGC has been the most consistent aspect of my life since I was nine. My Club gave me the certainty that no matter what, I had support—something all young people deserve to experience when they need it the most.

Read more:

• BGC Clubs want the best for Canadian kids 
• BGC Clubs are a modern solution to help parents 
• BGC Clubs are a safe ‘third place’