Plans to build a community centre at Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary School will do little to meet the needs of youth living in Lakeshore Village, according to members of the South Etobicoke Youth Assembly (SEYA).
Amber Morley and Natalie Hay appeared before Toronto's Community Development and Recreation Committee Tuesday to request the city secure a separate community centre in the area.
But the pair left feeling disillusioned after being informed that plans are already well in the works to build an addition to the existing school, at 28 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Dr.
"It's really disheartening," Morley said in an interview following the meeting.
"When our development was built by Daniels Corporation about 13 or 14 years ago we were promised a community centre and Daniels put $1.8 million towards that," she said, adding that she doesn't believe young people in her neighbourhood will have adequate access to the facility at Father John, which is being funded with that money.
The community was informed in June of this year of the city's plans to build the Ken Cox Community Centre at the school, Hay said.
"This was the first and only public meeting and it was an announcement, not the consultation we expected... there was no community input," she said, adding, "the proposed facility they brought to us is completely inadequate for older youth and young adults."
Hay asked the committee to delay construction of the community centre until the community is consulted.
Morley added: "What we really, really want is meaningful community consultation because we know the needs that are there... we want our community to be called upon for this rather than just being told what we need and having something built that's not going to address our needs or go unused."
However, Brenda Librecz, general manager of parks, forestry and recreation, told the committee the city will have access to a "considerable amount" of space for programming within the school.
"The project has actually been partially built," she said. "This is a partnership with the Toronto Catholic District School Board wherein we came together to develop a school and a community centre at the same location. So it's a community school concept... they've already built the double gym, they've already built some rooms for us, a dance studio and a separate entrance. So that's already completed."
Librecz reported that an architect is currently designing the remaining components and noted that there is no way of relocating the facility and establishing a separate community centre.
"We would actually be liable from a financial perspective if we did," she said.
However, Morley said SEYA believes the city could renovate the Lakeshore Lion's Arena for use as a community centre rather than spending up to $2 million to build a proposed skating oval in the Kipling and Lakeshore area.
"We absolutely do not need any more arenas... or skating ovals," she said.