A youth group in Sydney, N.S. wants a ban on teen dances lifted at municipally-owned facilities in their community. The appeal was heard today at a special Cape Breton Regional Council meeting.
Teen dances were banned from municipal properties in the fall of 2011 when police asked politicians to put a stop to the increasingly rowdy events.
“There was property damage, noise complaints, unruly behaviour, assaults on police officers, assaults on security guards, there was drinking underage,” explains police Chief Peter MacIsaac.
A delegation of teens is now asking municipal politicians to rescind the ban, saying thousands of young people are being punished for the actions of a relatively small number of troublemakers.
“Drinking and drugs are a big factor with the dances and we know it’s a big problem,” says teen dance committee member Emily Bennett. “But in my opinion, the greater problem is that teens are stereotyped and painted with the same brush.”
Another student told council members that many of the teens who cause problems are repeat offenders, and it would be a better idea to ban their attendance, rather than enforce an outright ban dances.
“We could start trying to create a list of offenders,” suggests student Patrick Cookson. “What this would do is that we could track who does what, who starts a fight with who, who destroys what.”
The youth dances the municipality effectively put out of business replaced similar school-sanctioned events that were cancelled due to the same types of trouble.
However, even the police say schools should give students another chance.
“Dances at high schools are part of the high school culture, part of the spirit, and it’s really part of the whole environment,” says MacIsaac.
Whether they are held in school facilities or on municipal properties, a local dance promoter says banning teen socials is a bad idea.
“We’ve always had an issue with youth outmigration and trying to attract and retain youth in this area,” says Stephen Tobin. “I think when we eliminate social activities such as dances, it creates all the more reason for young people to be looking to leave the Island.”
Council has asked for a staff report on the dance ban and it could become an issue for voters to consider in this fall’s municipal election.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Randy MacDonald
