MESSAGE FROM MANAGEMENT

Dear Supporters, Staff and Community Partners,

As the fiscal year-end has passed, we want to take a moment to reflect on our achievements, challenges, and the resilience of our organization. Despite a slight decrease in revenue, our dedicated team effectively managed expenses, resulting in a modest surplus. This surplus is vital as it bolsters our reserve fund, ensuring we are prepared for any unforeseen financial challenges. While there is no indication of significant revenue decline, maintaining a robust reserve is our commitment to prudent financial and risk management.

Housing

In the realm of housing, we continued to operate efficiently, offering over 13,000 room nights of accommodation to young people throughout 2023-2024. Our commitment to providing safe and stable housing remains steadfast. Additionally, we have successfully renewed the mortgage on Rowe House, securing favorable terms that will support our housing efforts at that location for the next five years.

Unfortunately, NYSA’s proposal to purchase the property at 6 Commercial Street and develop a mixed-use building with affordable housing did not come to fruition. However, we remain ever vigilant in exploring other opportunities to address the pressing need for affordable accommodation for young people in our area.

Programming Highlights

Our employment readiness training programs continued to make a profound impact in 2023. Our BladeRunners program successfully graduated 70 young people, equipping them with essential skills in construction and career exploration. We are excited to share that this program has been renewed for another three-year term starting April 2024. This ongoing support will allow us to continue providing valuable job training opportunities for youth in our community.

Conversely, our DiverseFutures program, which was supported by an Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) – Youth Employment and Skills Strategy agreement, concluded this year. Despite our best efforts, our proposal to extend this program was declined in June. We are grateful for the support we received during its operation and will seek new opportunities to advance our mission when and wherever possible.

The L2N driver assistance program, in partnership with Snuneymuxw First Nation, continued to operate at full capacity. The demand for driving hours from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth continues to exceed our available resources. This ongoing partnership realizes the critical need for such support services and underscores our dedication to meeting this need.

Lastly, the unexpected closure of the RentSmart program by its developers – a vital resource for youth housing education — was a significant setback for NYSA as we have delivered this program to more than 60 youth over the past few years. However, we responded promptly by developing our own SmartRenter program. In its inaugural year, SmartRenter successfully reached over 25 young individuals, providing them with essential knowledge on tenant rights, budgeting, and effective communication with landlords.

In closing, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to NYSA staff, supporters, and community partners. Your unwavering commitment and collaboration enable us to continue to make a meaningful impact. As we move into the new fiscal year, we remain optimistic and dedicated to our focus on empowering youth and thus, strengthening our community.

Thank you for your continued support.

Keith Wilson
Chief Administrative Officer

Allan Beaudry
President & Chair