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Pemberton’s youth weigh in on OCP review

Over-development, rising cost of living top youth concerns in Spud Valley
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The Village of Pemberton heard feedback on the ongoing Official Community Plan review from the community's youth at a recent council meeting. Pictured is Pemberton's Signal Hill Elementary.

As the Village of Pemberton (VOP) continues its Official Community Plan review, officials are seeking input from local children and youth—which, so far, has tended to dovetail with comments made by older Pembertonians. 

Sayah DesBrisay, a Grade 8 student at Pemberton Secondary School (PSS), addressed elected representatives in person during the VOP’s April 11 council meeting. She joined planner Colin Brown in summarizing the views of her peers about difficulties facing the area in future years. 

The four main topics were: over-development, climate change, rising living costs and paucity of public transit.

“We are seeing a whole bunch of our bike trails and forests and stuff being taken over by housing, and that is not something that makes us happy,” DesBrisay said. “I think we need to really be mindful about that … and how we like the ‘small’ feeling of Pemberton, because everyone knows each other. 

“Yes, Pemberton’s going to grow, but maybe [we should] keep it contained a little bit.” 

Although housing remains a major area of need, the students’ concerns reflect those of other locals to a degree. Thirty-three comments generated by the VOP’s Kitchen Table Discussions from Jan. 16 to March 10 identified growth management and preserving Spud Valley’s uniqueness as a priority. 

In addition to that, DesBrisay and her classmates are worried about the effects of climate change, citing several flooding scares over the last few years. They also expressed their struggle with affordability and a relative lack of jobs in Pemberton. 

Unsurprisingly, the teens voiced a desire for more robust regional transit as well. 

“I would like to see more frequency in the bus schedule from Pemberton to Whistler, because I think independence is a great thing amongst youth,” DesBrisay said. “When the bus is only going in at 8:20 in the morning, we’re all still asleep.”

Moreover, PSS students pointed out that—despite an abundance of outdoor recreation—Pemberton does not offer many activities catered specifically to youth. This factor, when combined with rising living costs, can make it hard for many to envision a future in their hometown. 

DesBrisay and her fellow teens also appreciate Pemberton for many of the same reasons as other demographics: its aforementioned recreational options, natural environment and sense of community.

“It’s not a very busy town. I mean, it can feel busy, but I like the close, family feel of Pemberton,” said DesBrisay. 

As of early April, the VOP has engaged 402 local students by liaising with School Districts No. 48 and No. 93. Two hundred and eighty one of these students attend Signal Hill Elementary, 76 go to École La Vallée and 45 are educated at PSS.

Youngsters in Kindergarten through Grade 4 took part in simple exercises, drawing out their favourite parts of Pemberton or identifying them on a photo collage. Intermediate-aged pupils in Grades 5 to 7 expressed similar sentiments with maps, or used Lego to build their future hopes for the village. 

Student artwork included many overlapping themes, but most highlighted Pemberton’s existing social spaces and activities. Two hundred and twenty two depicted economic or commercial elements like restaurants and the community centre, while 220 involved various forms of outdoor recreation. Other large categories include parks and open spaces (179) and the environment (154). 

Concurring with DesBrisay’s view of Pemberton as a close-knit municipality, Brown was encouraged to see that many children are not reliant on motor vehicles to go to school. One hundred and fifty students said that they walk, and another 71 get around via bicycle or scooter at least some of the time. One hundred and thirty six others do ride in private vehicles, while 87 take the bus.