Chalk it up Clearview

The Clearview Township Department of Parks, Culture and Recreation wants to see your sidewalk art.
Until Sept. 11, Clearview youth and families are invited to create messages of joy and positivity in sidewalk chalk anywhere it is safe and legal to do so, and share images on social media using the hashtag #ChalkitupClearview.
The Department of Parks, Culture and Recreation operates the Clearview Youth Centre. Centre Coordinator, Courtney Rogers, says sidewalk chalk was included in last week’s Youth Activity Kit. This was the final installment of a program that saw 50 youth throughout the township receive a kit each week since mid-July.
The kits were funded through the Government of Canada Emergency Community Support Fund and the Community Foundation of Canada. Cardboard Castles in Creemore and Clearview Public Libraries assisted with content. Kits were designed to keep youth aged 12-18 connected and engaged after the Youth Centre was forced to suspend drop-in activities in March. Each one contained a snack, a craft, a mental health support and a recommended physical activity. One week, the physical activity was a badminton set. Another week included a “positive thoughts jar” for the mental health component. Rogers says response from youth and their families was very enthusiastic. The fact that 70 per cent of the kits were distributed to youth who had never attended the centre previously was a big success in terms of outreach for the centre.
A scaled down version of the activity kit program will be launched for fall, with 150 kits versus the 350 kits allocated for summer. The Youth Centre is also making plans for a gradual resumption of drop-in services. Rogers says staff will present re-opening plans to township council on Sept. 14. Hopefully at that time they will get the go-ahead to resume on-site programming such as the cooking classes which are a perennial favourite.
In addition to the supplies in the activity kit, sidewalk chalk is available free of charge from the township offices in Stayner or at branches of Clearview Public Library for anyone wishing to participate in Chalk it up Clearview.