Territorial Youth Services artist rendering of the proposed new building. (Supplied images/Territorial Youth Services)

By Angela Brown

Support for youth

Territorial Youth Services looking to expand

Apr 1, 2021 | 2:25 PM

Territorial Youth Services (TYS) are hoping to expand, and are fundraising to build a new larger workshop facility for their programs that help youth at risk.

Currently they are working out of a double-garage-sized shop space. The new proposed facility will be much larger at 2,720 sq. ft. in size, with plans to build it behind the Territorial Drive Alliance Church.

The non profit organization has a goal to raise $475,000 for the project. To date, they have collected $100,000.

Director Perry Neufeld discussed the project at the City of North Battleford’s recent planning committee meeting.

“It’s been in the Battlefords for over 30 years, and it’s about to take a leap forward,” he said of the initiative.

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The program is available to youth from ages 12 to 20. According to the organization, the program started at the request of the Department of Social Services in 1988 “to provide resources that were lacking to troubled teens in the community.” Since then, TYS helped hundreds of young people complete their court ordered restitution or community service work.

The project started based out of the church as a restitution program, and developed from there to also include pre-employment training. Youth also gain life skills.

Neufeld described the program as a social enterprise initiative. TYS provides yard service and snow removal to the community, and completes small building construction projects – such as sheds, fences, decks and ice fishing shacks for example, which help generate revenue.

The program runs with support from a number of partners including the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice, which helps with operating costs.

TYS aims to be in the new building before the winter of 2021, to be able to use the facility right away, and start adding to its programs. The goal is to break ground and start construction this spring.

“We only see this as growing our possibilities for the community and growing the possibilities for the youth that are in our community,” Neufeld said.

TYS is not just an opportunity for youth to work off their fines or fullfill community service hours, he said, but rather it is “a second chance at life.”

About 16 to 18 youth are currently in the program. But the organization can only have several youth a day working along side the two supervisors due to the limited size of its existing shop. So the larger facility is greatly needed.

“It’s become a necessity to not only find a bigger space to build more products but just to have the youth in the program,” Neufeld said.

The organization hopes the new facility will be able to accommodate a shop, commercial kitchen and space for various classes to add more training options to the youth.

“We’re really excited about this possibility,” Neufeld said.

Council members commended TYS for offering the service in the community, and enquired about some of the details of the proposed project.

City director of corporate services, Jennifer Niesink, said administration will need to discuss the project with TYS and look at zoning requirements for the area. The city also requires more information on the proposal.

“We can set up a meeting and see what they can do,” she said.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW