Ward 7 Greater Sudbury council candidate Frank Mazzuca Jr. says he wasn't given an opportunity to participate in a survey of questions by the youth group Young People Who Give a Sh*t.
“Quite honestly, I don’t recall receiving the survey or a reminder that I had not yet responded,” he said, adding that this actually gives him the opportunity to speak about the needs of youth in his community.
He focuses on Capreol services that have been closed by the city in the past.
“The current council has already shown their colours with respect to facilities for youth – those not attending post-secondary institutions or in the workforce,” he said.
“In the last term of council, for example, Capreol Ski Hill was closed so the city could save $40,000. Isn’t $40,000 a small price to provide our youth (and the community as a whole) with a recreational opportunity that most communities would kill for?”
Full news release is below:
Curious things happen during election campaigns. For example, the reference by Mike Jakubo (Sudbury Star, October 16, 2018) that he was the only candidate in Ward 7 who took the time to complete the survey questions posed by the youth group Young People Who Give a Sh*t.
Quite honestly, I don’t recall receiving the survey or a reminder that I had not yet responded.
Regardless, his column gives me an opportunity to address the needs of youth. And, in my mind, it isn’t initiating another talking session, as suggested with an advisory panel.
Unless you are committed to implementing the suggestions proposed by our youth, don’t give them a false sense of hope and purpose by convening a forum for them to make their case.
The current council has already shown their colours with respect to facilities for youth – those not attending post-secondary institutions or in the workforce. In the last term of council, for example, Capreol Ski Hill was closed so the city could save $40,000. Isn’t $40,000 a small price to provide our youth (and the community as a whole) with a recreational opportunity that most communities would kill for?
There’s talk about building a new arena in the Valley to replace two that are well past their “best before” date. But in the same breath, our current councillors have discussed closing one of Capreol’s two ice surfaces.
Why wouldn’t they keep the second surface fully functioning and make it available to youth from anywhere in the city, for free? If you want to provide youth with opportunities, make use of what is already available.
In the “off season” that same rink could be used for a skateboard park, again. Somehow, in a previous term, Capreol’s skateboard park was dismantled and moved elsewhere.
I would also comment that the splash pad that was installed in Capreol was due to the hard work of a Splash Pad Committee, a subcommittee of the Capreol CAN.
True, a portion of the funds was obtained through the HCI Fund, but more than half was raised by the committee. Neighbourhood groups such as this deserve a hearty congratulations for their dedication in making these facilities a reality for our youth.
What we really need is a council that is dedicated to ensuring that neighbourhoods and the suburbs have sufficient recreational amenities before they embark on building massive complexes that are wants, not needs.
We need a council that will take a hard look at how our taxpayers’ dollars are spent, ensuring that the needs of all citizens, including our youth, are satisfied before we venture into spending on non-essentials.
Frank Mazzuca, Jr.
Ward 7 Candidate
For more information on Mazzuca's candidacy, visit his Sudbury.com election page.
