Removal of Taxi Subsidy in Community 25; Girl Guides of Canada; Ontario Council

Girl Guides of Canada recently stated they will no longer pay for taxis to and from Girl Guide activities for our college and university student leaders and volunteers here in Community 25. This news is most frustrating and upsetting.

Community 25, in particular Kingston, has always had a very high percentage of young women from Queens, St Lawrence College and the Royal Military College willing to lead, participate, and assist with running meetings and camps. These ladies bring with them a lot of skill, dedication, and enthusiasm. Those who have had the privilege to work with them see how much of an asset they are. However, due to this recent budget cut units here in Kingston, we face losing these wonderful volunteers and leaders.

Kingston is a very unique city as we do have many students, in part due to the 3 post secondary schools within the area. However, this city also poses many challenges to these students. Unlike larger centres like Toronto and Ottawa, we have a very poor public transportation system. Though students here do possess passes which allow them to travel on the public buses for free, our transit system, especially in the west end of the city, is limited especially in the evenings. Often buses run once an hour after 6:00pm, often leaving the city centre on the half hour and arriving within the west end on the hour. Given that many of our units start in this area start at 6:30pm, this would mean that students would be required to arrive and depart 30mins early or late for meetings. Not only will this affect their ability to lead units, often the bus stops in this area are not close to the meeting places causing these young women to be placed in vulnerable situations by potentially walking to and from and waiting at the bus stops alone. This for a savings of upwards of $800.00/mth is unacceptable.

At first glance $800.00/mth does looks like a very large expense. Though in all honesty, this is quite small given the number of students we have assisting units. Given that on average a taxi is $10.00 per trip; a student travelling to and from a meeting would result in an expense of $20.00 per meeting per week. So in an average week, 10 rounds trips are being taken. Given the number of students volunteering, this shows us that many of our students are currently using the bus or other means of transportation to get to and from unit activities. Those who do travel by taxi do so not out of convenience, but because of class schedules or lack of bus service to the meeting. To remove this service would mean to lose these skilled volunteers from organization.

One of the biggest challenges facing girl guides, not only in Canada but throughout the world, is keeping girls engaged as they mature. Though we do not have as much difficulties in keeping girls in Sparks and Brownies, and even Guides for the most part, as they advance into Pathfinders and beyond we begin to see a rapid decline in numbers. Though some of the reason is the increased workload at schools and increased extracurricular activities; a big reason for the decline is peer pressure. As girls enter into the teenage years and beyond, guiding is often seen as childish and uncool. Often they fear being teased or looked upon negatively by peers and classmates. I have found one of the greatest ways to combat this decline is thru the help of college and university students working with our units. These young women are wonderful role models, not only offering the girls someone whom they can relate with easily, but also showing them that Girl Guides is not just for children but for young women and beyond.

When we look closely at things, we see that these young women and their time is worth much more than the savings that will be gained through the loss of the taxi subsidy service for Community 25. For this reason I ask that you please reconsider your decision and to reinstate this service.