Life is about to get a little less “boring” for Mya.
The teenager has been missing all of the social opportunities she enjoyed at the Orillia Youth Centre before it closed in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m just really looking forward to seeing everybody,” said Mya, who attended the centre almost every day. “We’ll get to socialize and talk about what’s been happening. It’s like a community. Lots of people go to it to have fun.”
Youth centre director Kevin Gangloff said the plan is to open Saturday at 2 p.m., and he knows the kids will show up.
“They’ve been clamouring to come back,” he said. “We’re getting messages every day for the last couple of weeks, asking, ‘When are you going to open?’”
The demand, though, might be greater than the centre’s capacity. Only 13 visitors will be allowed in at a time.
“That allows us to safely socially distance everyone,” Gangloff said.
If the demand is high enough, youth might have to book times to visit.
“It’s the antithesis of what a drop-in is, but to do it safely, we might have to,” he said.
A return to the youth centre won’t mean a return to traditional programming. There will be fewer outings, as those events often rely on transportation, and the centre will not be producing its usual calendar of events just yet.
To ensure safety and physical distancing, youth will be screened upon entry and everyone must wear a mask. Staff have also removed some furniture and computer stations, have sanitized the entire place and had the floors professionally cleaned.
It’s important to reopen, Gangloff said, because the youth centre is more than a place for kids to have fun.
“We’ve supported young people through this pandemic and there are youth who rely on our centre,” he said.
A flood last month destroyed almost $20,000 worth of items at the youth centre, but it has been able to recover thanks to support from the community.
“Our community’s been absolutely tremendous,” Gangloff said.
Many stepped up to help out with the cleanup, but also to provide donations of money and items.
The centre has been “very deliberate in accepting donations,” Gangloff said, because it is an insurance matter. However, “we won’t ever realize the deductible side of it, so some of those donations will help bridge that gap.”
The centre will operate under its traditional hours.
Information about programming will be posted on the centre’s social media platforms.
