Parents Advocate for Reopening of Mountain Pine Ridge Youth Challenge Facility

A group of parents are fighting for the government to reopen the Mountain Pine Ridge Youth Challenge Facility after it was closed and the youth were forced to return home. The facility was opened this year as a part of the government’s multi-sectoral approach to crime and offered at-risk youth an opportunity to change their lives. The circumstances surrounding its closure reportedly have to do with the conditions at the camp. However, the parents and their children believe that the positive impacts of the camp outweigh the slight bump in the road. Anthony Perry assisted 16 young men, including his son, in signing up for the camp and says the facility’s closure has left the young men with heavy hearts. He explained the positive impact the training had on the young men and the dangers they face on the streets. 

Perry says the group of parents has launched a petition in hopes of having the facility reopened. He explained that for young men like his son, it’s more than a facility but a place of hope. 

The parents are scheduled to meet tomorrow with representatives from the Ministry of Youth and Sports.