July 22, 2023

By Valentina Shamoun and Sydney John-Baptise, both Torontonians and members of BGC Canada’s National Youth Council

Dear Future Mayor – Toronto is a vibrant, multicultural city. The sheer number of traditions and opportunities – from jobs to culture to entertainment – draw people from around the world to live, study and work here. But without young people, this vibrancy is at risk.

Young people are finding it harder and harder to live here. We kept hearing that coming out of the pandemic, the city would come roaring back to life – prosperity, fun and relief that the worst was behind us and we could work toward fixing our city’s problems. It doesn’t feel that way living in Toronto these days. We are finding it hard to feel optimistic about our future here.

Dear Mayor, how are you going to help revive our city?

Young people can barely live here anymore. Did you know that the average age of Torontonians is now over 40? The average rent is over $2,500/month which is impossible for most young people to afford, pushing us further and further out to the edges of the city or out of the GTA altogether. We constantly hear that ‘young people don’t want to work’, especially in entry-level jobs, retail, and hospitality. That’s not it – we just can’t afford to live in Toronto and make those wages. Why would we commute into the city to make $16 an hour? Many of us are trying to get by on insufficient OSAP funds, piecing together part-time work, orare already drowning in student debt. It can take us an hour and a half to get from Scarborough to downtown in rush hour, each way. That’s 15 hours a week we could be working or studying instead. It just doesn’t make sense. We are worried about what downtown Toronto will look like in 5 or 10 years. Where will youth fit in?

What are you going to do immediately about violence on the TTC? Because most of us don’t feel safe. Ridership is down since pre-pandemic levels, but violence is up. Teens, especially young women, are taking the streetcar to the GO train in some areas because it’s not safe to be underground after dark with no cell service. It’s an expensive and inconvenient option that we resent. Dear Mayor, why does a world-class city not have cell service on subway trains in 2023? Youth don’t care about battles with big telecom. We cannot wait two years for this to happen – every day without it makes stepping underground feel like a roll of the dice.

How do you plan to advocate for marginalized youth and provide more mental health resources? More than 300 students have been involved in violent incidents so far this year. There is clearly a crisis in our schools. Students who are struggling, especially those with special needs, have been chronically under-served. Will you fight for equitable education and everyone’s right to feel safe in the classroom?

Dear Mayor, when was the last time you worked in the community? Spoke to someone who is unhoused unless you were in front a camera? Most youth want a mayor who has spent years working in the community because it’s the only way to truly understand the crisis going on now. The kind of mayor who cares less about showing up at the Pride Parade for a photo op and more about keeping trans kids safe and advocating for the health of 2S & LGBTQIA+ youth on a daily basis.

Dear Future Mayor, please don’t think we’ve lost hope. Young people need things to change and need you to show us you can get things done. Let us be a part of the strength of this great city we love so much.

Read more:

• National Youth Council Statement on Anti-Trans Legislation
• National Youth Council Statement on Mental Health

As the National Youth Council of BGC Canada (formerly Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada), our membership consists of individuals in the 2S & LGBTQIA+ communities, as well as allies from other diverse backgrounds.

Less than two months into 2023, more than 300 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in the United States at the state level, 150 of which target transgender individuals. This is the highest number of anti-trans bills to be introduced in a single year ever.

Anti-trans sentiments are also prevalent in Canada; transgender and non-binary Canadians are concerned about transphobic ideology worsening across the country. Without strong advocacy and vigilance, this legislative attack in the United States could make its way here.

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.

As members of BGC Canada’s National Youth Council, we are calling for change within our systems and our everyday lives. As an ally, you have the power and responsibility to help make that change. Below, we have provided several ways that you can contribute.

Sign petitions. Call, text, and email. Write letters to your local policymakers. Donate. Educate yourself and your family. Advocate for your trans peers even when they’re not around. Check on your affected friends, take care of your mental health, and help us defend and protect human rights.

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Ways to help

Petitions

• Protect Transgender Texans

Donations

• Canada Helps – supports LGBTQ+ Charities

Mental Health Resources

• Kids Help Phone – space for 2SLGBTQ+ youth and allies
• Trans Lifeline – provides trans peer support
• It Gets Better Campaign – uplifts, empowers, and connects LGBTQ+ youth around the globe
• Lesbian, Gay, Bi & Trans Youthline – offers free peer support for youth aged 26 and under (1-800-268-9688)
• The Trevor Project – provides information & support to LGBTQ+ young people 24/7, all year round

Stay Educated

• Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in U.S State Legislatures
• Understanding the Transgender Community
• Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Young People
• Transgender Children & Youth: Understanding the Basics

Additional Resources

• Adults supporting 2SLGBTQI Youth
• Supporting youth well-being through anti-oppression principles
• Preparing Students for the Transition of a Trans or Gender Diverse Peer
• BGC Canada’s 2S & LGBTQIA+ Toolkit (for senior leadership and decision makers)

BGC Canada’s National Youth Council (NYC) represents the concerns of thousands of youth across the country. The NYC aims to amplify youth voices and to ensure youth input is included in all national initiatives and activities. NYC members serve as ambassadors and role models for other children and youth throughout the organization. We aim to positively influence decision-making on issues related to young people to create a better and safer environment for all youth in Canada.  Children and youth are the backbone of Canada’s future, yet our issues and concerns are often an afterthought.

The past few years have been tough on children. Statistics Canada data shows that youth have experienced the most significant mental health decline since the pandemic began. Only 42 per cent of youth now report their mental health as excellent or very good. Even though an estimated 1.2 million children and youth in Canada are affected by mental illness, less than 20 per cent receive appropriate treatment. Many short-term and long-term risks are associated with youth mental health challenges. A growing body of international evidence demonstrates that promotion, prevention, and early intervention initiatives show a positive impact.

As BGC Canada’s National Youth Council, we feel that mental health was an extensive issue youth faced during the pandemic. The ages of 15 – 21 are critical to a child’s life and can greatly influence their quality of life today and in the future. During the pandemic, youth were not out meeting new people and trying new things. While isolating at home, they didn’t have access to before and after school activities, recreation, or other opportunities to interact with their friends. Putting life on hold had and continues to impact youth mental health.

And given that mental health is so often overlooked, we need to advocate for mental health support, so youth are set up for success.

Additionally, as more children and youth struggle with their mental health, front-line staff are supporting children and youth in ways they weren’t before the pandemic. This adds stress and vicarious trauma to workers, often leading to burnout. Demand for Club services continues to grow without an increase in funding.

To address this issue, BGC Canada and the National Youth Council have: 

• Developed a policy brief with other national charities on the mental health of front-line workers.
• Participated in House of Commons Committee studies on Children’s Health and the Mental Health of Young Women and Girls to put forward recommendations.
• Hosted a “Day on the Hill” for Club leaders and youth to speak directly to MPs.
• Had an NYC member speak on a panel hosted by NACY as well as their annual conference about the mental health of youth and front-line workers.
• Organized The National Youth Forum. Taking place this spring, the Forum will focus on youth empowerment and self-efficacy.

While we are working to support mental health reform more needs to be done for the children and the front-line workers that help them.

BGC Canada’s National Youth Council echoes recommendations from the child and youth sector that the federal government create a permanent Canada Mental Health and Substance Use Health Transfer that sets aside 50% of its funding for community services to ensure care is accessible to those who need it.

Within this transfer, we recommend:  

• Further investment in culturally safe and responsive evidence-based community mental health programs for youth, including early intervention and prevention programs.
• Investment in evidence-based mental health support for front-line community service workers. Including:
  • Expanding immediate access to mental health and substance use health support for staff who are currently struggling.
  • Funding research on best practices relating to clinical supervision and incident debriefing.
  • Enhancing organizational capacity building for Psychologically Healthy and Safe workplaces, including funding for front-line staff working with children and youth to access Mental Health First Aid Training.

Without the government’s support and attention to this mental health crisis, youth and front-line workers across the country will continue to struggle. By advocating for mental health reform, we can begin to create a brighter future for all Canadian youth that will set them up for success by improving education, employment, and overall well-being-being. Opportunity changes everything.