Medeba
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Medeba
News Articles
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The following article appeared in the Toronto Star newspaper
- Reproduced with permission - Torstar Syndication Services Note that Medeba was where this story took place. At-risk teens, officers
find common ground -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Four officers — including a sergeant and a staff sergeant — are driving an unmarked blue police van straight toward a group home in Scarborough. The teenagers at Megan House know they're coming, and are now scrambling. They grab everything they'll need to escape: winter boots, sleeping bags, even a few stuffed toys. Because for the next 2 1/2 days, these kids — some from troubled pasts and others with solid families but their own mental health or behavioural issues — are going camping with cops. Already, they're planning a few stunts they hope to squeeze under the radar. "Me and the girls are planning to go streaking," says one 15-year-old girl wearing sweatpants with the words "Rock Star" emblazoned across her bottom. "We're going to put thongs on the outside of our snow pants." She laughs and takes a drag of a smoke — the last one before she and 19 other teenagers board a chartered bus that will take them to Medeba, an "adventure learning" camp in the snow-filled woods east of Haliburton, Ont. Some of the kids — who come from three group homes run by East Metro Youth Services — have a different adventure in mind. Jill Legge, who supervises at one of those homes, lays down the law on the bus. "No dating. No kissing. No cuddly-wuddly." There's an explosion of laughter from the back, partly because someone has inflated a condom. Truth is, several of these teens have crossed paths with the law before. Some aren't exactly crazy about this whole police thing. "A lot of people are kind of nervous about the cops being here," says 17-year-old Kathleen. "But I think it will be good." In the van, four officers are also hoping it will be good. But they, too, are nervous. No one knows how this trip will unfold. As the bus rolls down the 401, giggling teens watch the Fantastic Four DVD on the coach's TV screens. But behind many of those smiling faces are lives that have unfolded in a less-than-opportune trajectory. Though some are in the group home system only temporarily before returning to families, others are Crown wards with no families or home to return to. A number of them have been through chaotic, even traumatic, circumstances. "I would say 90 per cent of our kids are at-risk," says David Baxter, who supervises at one of those homes and is also coming along on this trip. Inside the van is Const. Andria Cowan and three other police officers who truly care about this kind of community work. Cowan, who's on the East Metro Youth Services board of directors, has been involved in every stage of this event from conception through to buying snow pants and warm toques for 20 kids. The 33-year-old believes this trip, known as "Inward Bound" and funded by the group ProAction Cops & Kids, has real potential. "The whole point of this is to break down barriers between the police and the kids," she said earlier. Just over nine years ago, Cowan responded to a call about an emotionally disturbed person on board a bus at the Spadina loop. That call ended with the high-profile shooting of Edmond Yu, a former medical student who was homeless and mentally unwell at the time of his death. Though Cowan did not pull the trigger and believes the use of force was "absolutely necessary," the event had a profound effect on her. She has since become something of an advocate — speaking frequently about the interaction of police and those with mental health issues. "My passion for mental health comes from that shooting," she says. She also knows that it's possible the lives of some of these teens may once again intersect with the law. And she wants the best outcome possible. "I want them to realize there's a totally different side to police — and that they'll remember that in the future." By early Wednesday afternoon, the kids are getting a glimpse of that side as the Medeba staff guide the group through a number of exercises designed to break the ice. A staff member pulls out a thin piece of climbing rope for a game of Tug of War. "You want a real rope?" asks Sgt. Steve Hicks of 31 Division. Out of uniform and with an infectious smile, he grabs a monstrous rope the officers brought. The police and staff take on the students as they line up across the thick snow. "One, two three — heave!" shouts Hicks. The adults win this round, but the kids are gracious in defeat. More smiles a few moments later, when a new game requires everyone to cluck like a chicken. It's not often these teens have seen police in that scenario. As the afternoon progresses, the kids are split into two groups of a more manageable size for activities. Hicks and Cowan join those going snowshoeing, while Const. Lisa Cowling and Staff Sgt. Suzanne Walsh of 31 Division head off with another group for some telemark skiing. The snowshoeing is tough going for some of the kids. The bindings keep slipping off, and the course gets physically demanding during a long and steep incline. Cowan and Hicks remain deliberately at the back of the pack, encouraging slower kids and fixing bindings. "I'm done," says one girl in defeat, after falling yet again into the deep powder. "You can do it," says Cowan as she helps the girl up. By the end of the snowshoeing, some of the kids are giving Cowan and Hicks high-fives. It's been a similar picture with the skiers, many of whom impressed the police with their tenacity.
"This is so much fun!" he says. Despite earlier plans, none of the girls dons a thong outside their snow pants. (A bit of cuddly-wuddly, however, does take place on the slopes.) With the crucial first day over, one of the previously skeptical teens sums up his thoughts. "I was kind of reluctant to come because the police were coming — but it's all good now," says Chris. "I'm actually looking forward to the rest of this."
"They broke the sound barrier!" laughs one youngster. But there's no laughing when Kathleen discovers that someone has pilfered her few remaining cigarettes from her jacket. Staff locate the guilty party and make arrangements for her to be sent back to Toronto. It's the girl who first proposed the thong-streak. "It's sort of all right," she says. "But it sort of sucks because I was having fun." The kids spend part of the morning doing indoor rock climbing. Cowling of 55 Division helps the teens with their harnesses and shouts unflagging encouragement. Only after they've left the room does the constable scale the wall like a Spiderwoman, easily climbing an overhang that has defeated everyone else. Unknown to the teens, the police have also been doing a bit of behind-the-scenes work, asking the three supervisors about the histories of the kids. "What I like is they're really questioning us about each kid," says supervisor Baxter. "They're genuinely interested in their background, where they're at." The highlight of the day's activities is the "Zip Line," where the kids don harnesses, climb a platform and whiz down an elevated wire. The four officers are waiting at the bottom to help unhitch the teens. There's a scary moment when Cowan get a very nasty crack on the head from a carabiner, a clip with a latch attached to a rope that falls from a significant height. She collapses and it briefly looks as though she might pass out. As soon as she's up, one of the boys runs over to ask if she's all right.
A campfire roars just behind the building where the teens are staying. There have been songs, marshmallows and laughter despite the pouring rain. Cowan speaks to the group. "In the future, if you need us, we'll be here for you," she says, adding, "Let us know if you've enjoyed your time here." There's an explosion of cheers. All of the officers speak. And it's clear they've learned some things, too. They've seen these kids co-operate, support each other, and treat one another like family. "We've had some negative experiences with youth, just like you've had with police," says Walsh, the staff sergeant from 31 Division. "But I've been impressed with each and every one of you. Never sell yourself short." One by one, each of the 19 remaining kids gets an opportunity to speak. Several say they've had a negative opinion of police, but this experience has changed them. One even spoke of how he regards his group home friends as family and how the police acted as parents during this trip. Only a couple of kids pass on saying anything meaningful. But it's Tim, the Ugandan who had to leave his Canadian home because of domestic violence, who speaks with the greatest simplicity and impact. "This has changed my life," he says. Illuminated only by the fire, several people in the crowd are weeping by this point, including Cowan. She's immediately surrounded by a group of young people who hug her.
One of the guys, involved in the cuddly-wuddly on the slopes, will be going home with a hickey. But Tim, the Ugandan with the brilliant smile, is heading home with something more lasting. The officers have detected some extraordinary qualities in him, and Walsh has asked if he might be interested in working this summer. "They've talked to me about a summer job," he says, "doing something with the cops. I like that idea." |
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Last modified: March 31, 2006