By Brianna Todd
Ever since the 2010 G8 Summit, when our old Centennial Centre became our beloved Summit Centre, the students of Huntsville High School have adored and utilized this venue. But in past two years, it seems that this has been taken advantage of by some students, and it’s affecting everyone.
Most of the students are polite and respectful, but there are a few who feel like they can act and run like they own the place. Some of their inappropriate behaviour includes leaving garbage everywhere, vandalism (climbing a defibrillator, climbing on artwork), and running around. This can pose a danger as they could severely hurt themselves doing this or hurt others, and has resulted in the students being banned from both the Don Lough and Jack Bionda arenas. The senior citizens using the venue have complained about the students at lunch as they run around and into some of them.
To the students, being banned from the Don and Jack arenas seems like a bit of overkill. But is it really?
“They come in at lunch, buy some food from Oliver’s or the concession stand and they go sit in large groups and eat lunch, have a good time and enjoy themselves. But, come the end of lunch, they leave garbage everywhere. Even if the arena was clean before the students came in at lunch, it has to be fully re-cleaned after, which can take hours,” says Greg Pilling, Manager of Sales and Customer Service at the Canada Summit Centre. “We really want the students to come over, but they have to respect the building.”
The students have been talked to and for the most part they are respectful, says Pilling. “There are a few students who are running around like crazy and putting themselves and others in danger. We want the students to come over, have a coffee, do some studying here. We want them to come and be part of the activities that we have going on here, like public swimming and skating. But we need them to be respectful of the space that they have.”
A few students have even gone as far as smoking in the stairwells in the building, and performing sexual activities in the empty change rooms. The Canada Summit Centre’s Rights of Access and Use (PDF), created in 2002, outlines what is okay to do and what is not.
There have been talks at Huntsville High School to remind the students that it is a public building, and they need to treat it as such.
“We don’t want to have to tell the students that they need to stop doing something. We want the whole family to come by and enjoy what we have to offer.”
UPDATE NOVEMBER 28:
Due to the conversation sparked by this post, Doppler checked in with Kari Lambe, the Town’s Executive Director of Community Services, for further comment on the Town’s policy.
Lambe responded that Town staff are applying the Policy Respecting Municipal Buildings/Property Rights of Access & Use – which is a Council-approved policy – and that the policy applies to all and is applied fairly to all, not just students.
The policy states that people in the building must have a legitimate purpose for wishing to access/use the building/property. A “legitimate purpose”, for this bylaw includes: enquiring about, registering, participating in, being a spectator of, or searching for someone participating in approved programs or activities; short term occupation of premises for use of public washrooms, vending machines, concession or telephone; and waiting for someone in a central area such as a front lobby.
“No trespass notices” have been issued in the past for policy violations.
While the policy does apply to all, the majority of the infractions come from students. Lambe noted that CSC staff have received many complaints from customers regarding students’ behaviour in the building for loitering, vandalism/garbage, inappropriate behaviour and language, and blocking of elevators and hallways in that others cannot freely move from one area of the building to another.
“This is not a new policy this year. In fact, in the past two years student access to the CSC has become more lenient. Prior to 2015 students were only allowed in Oliver’s, the Jack Bionda lobby and pool lobby during school hours,” said Lambe. “Students are able to access the public spaces of the CSC. They cannot access the Jack Bionda, Don Lough, Active Living Centre and the Warm Viewing Areas during school hours unless they are at the CSC for a specific reason as identified in the policy. These are programmed and rented spaces.”
Lambe added that Town staff provide a specific function related to their role and the Town does not provide security personnel or additional staff to manage the issues caused by the students.
Brianna Todd
About Brianna Todd
Born and raised in Huntsville. Always playing the devil’s advocate. Restless and in desperate need of adventure. Constantly need tea or pizza. If you can’t find me I’m probably lost in Netflix… or actually lost. I love our small town and am dedicated to showing others just how great it is.
Briannna is a co-op student at Huntsville High School.
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I find this blown out of proportion. This is a public space that has now been banned from 1000 plus citizens. Yes their are the od individuals that can’t seem to understand what that green box by the door is for. But most students are kind and well mannered enough to throw our garbage away. I can vouch that it would not take an hour to clean up any mess that a student or a group would leave behind. Trust me most hockey games leave way more around. So where is the line drawn because I find most of us use the space as responsibly as any adult would. And where there is running around is on a track a public fricking track man. You run on a track I understand most seniors don’t like that and I’m not trying to be rude but the track was made to be used and people are allowed to run it. There’s no posted speed limit. And for the smoking and sexual activity your right it shouldn’t be done we have designated smoking spots and if you want to have that much fun,ma public place isn’t the place but those students that are caught should face punishment not the hole school. This is a public place. What next are we not aloud to take a walk to lions look out maybe we shouldn’t be able to walk up and down Main Street between 7-4 like come on. And sorry but if your against the swearing then your shit outa luck you live in Canada its a stereotype and a given for our generation. We ain’t trying to be rude or ofensive it’s just part of my generations language. And your oven tally going to have go get over. i find this pathetic and actually go’s against your rules since recently we’ve been denied access to watch our family members and friends figure skate or play hockey. And that brief use of place act or what ever… We are in there for less then an hour, think of it your wife takes longer to get ready for the pub and you spend longer on the toilet. We are there for maybe 45 minutes of the day and ask those seniors because I’m sure they’ve been asked how are you multiple times and have had multiple doors opened for them. We’re not assholes, were still well mannered Canadian citizens. And if this comment offends you how about you spit out your veggie burger take down that Hillary Clinton poster in your living room and give your head a shake because we’re just trying to get away from the pressure of school and everything. And trust me I’m sure you’ve done alot worse then what’s happened in that building, if not I’m sure you complain about your high school years. Stop calling a public space a priviledge and deal with the fact some people act differently then you talk diferently then you. And may be a little more adventurous then you now that your older. Stop restricting students and let us use the space that’s rightfully everyone’s. Because if you had a problem we were standing right there how about speak up rather then just making a larger problem… And you say we have bad social skills. It’s time the student voice is heard cause I think the public voice is a little dusty and outdated.
Thanks, Fran. We’ve corrected the error.
Brianna, for the record the G8 was in 2010..
No surprise for whatever activity is taking place (culture wide everywhere) & it’s an educational, respectful & needs open access thing for everyone. Definitely no need to ban anyone or lock the doors. + support sharlene’s idea.
Congrats Huntsville, you have now banned a majority of your community from using your community centre. Instead of stigmatizing and punishing the children, the Summitt Centre could step up and utilize its vast resources to offer programs, activities and other positive ways of engaging youth rather than dispelling them.
As a parent of a HHS student, if any of my children are caught doing any of these things, I would want to be notified of it, because they would need to be doing some serious explaining!
& I would be volunteering them to come clean up or do something to help out at the Summit Centre.