'Taking Back Suburbia Tour' hits Bolton May 26
By Vanessa Butterworth

Those pesky youth are at it again.

Faster than spring time meets global warming, Bolton is a town poised for massive change. This coming change will confront the very dynamics of our town, and redefine the relationships held between the citizens and their community at large.

Bolton, since the end of the Second World War, has always been a town with an underlying character different from that of its neighbors. Where the Peel Plain meets the Oak Ridges Moraine, an island in a sea of farms, Bolton boasted what other towns like Brampton did not; a central community with the genteel distinction as a rural town.

This character still lingers today in many longtime Bolton residents and business owners, and is a quality that many newcomers are attracted by. But with new ground being broken for development every day, the question is, do we choose solutions that maintain vitality within our town's character by focusing on people friendly alternatives (transit, sustainable planning, centrally located businesses and community-oriented events) or do we accept a town which people are secondary and cars and consumption come at an ill traded first?

Never has the time been so crucial that we define who we are and what we aspire to be as a town. Combining convenience with perceived progress has been a model for growth across the GTA, sacrificing many of the organic flows that contribute to a town. Today, Bolton faces such issues. The town is growing. Its neighborhoods are more car dependent than ever, the downtown is being hollowed out, and what's worse, lacking is a solid vision for a community beyond one that wakes up, drives to work, and depends on a suburban model of unsustainable amenities that sacrifice the livability of our town.

As a youth-created, nonprofit organization, we at HITCH (Help Improve Transit in the Caledon Hills) have long known that transportation is only one aspect of the future of our community and our growth concerns. But, we believe that a sustainable transit system will not only provide a needed service for all local residents but it will bring our town and its many community, governmental and economic facets together to grow responsibly and not just exponentially. In fact, grounded in our optimism of balancing green with growth, we believe that by creating workable community solutions, Bolton will keep its distinct character that has set it apart from others in the past.

With much disappointment, one demographic of the community has been overlooked in our economic and community plans: our youth. For some, the youth in our community have become an issue. We agree. For too long their needs have been overlooked. Their only sanctuaries have become basements, cars, televisions and expensive movie theatres. Suburbanization, cardependency and the privatization of public space have taken away many creative outlets that make kids, well, kids.

Bleak is not the motif we are pursuing. Natural change is. With the creation of the Community Improvement Plan, the Town-wide beautification program and the overriding Bolton Community Improvement Task Force, many important voices are coming together to overcome the community's upcoming, and already present, developmental plight.

We at HITCH advocate for sustainable transportation infrastructure and community solutions (walkable streets, a downtown flow, buses and trains, local living/entertainment and youthful, artistic expression) to be part of the discussion. For this to happen, we must come up with creative and engaging events and activities that not only raise awareness about becoming more environmentally friendly but bring all the people of our town together to share their opinions and ideas.

May 26, HITCH is making its first move. In partnership with the Citizens for a Clean Caledon, Mudrocker Entertainment and the York University OPIRG, HITCH is presenting the Taking Back Suburbia Tour and our first stop is Bolton. HITCH would like to begin its community campaign, by offering youth a place to share their talents and opinions in an open, community environment, while providing suggestions and incentives about learning how to live sustainably. Throughout the day there will be community speakers, free bicycle tuneups, local artistic demonstrations and of course, lots of music. The fun starts at noon and runs all day at the Albion-Bolton agricultural building, 150 Queen St. S. It is a pay what you can event ($5 minimum) with all the profits going toward offsetting the expenses of the concert.

We are requesting that any community members, local businesses and local organizations get involved with this event to make it memorable for our youth and for our community. If you'd like to volunteer, donate art supplies or funds, staff a booth for your business or organization, or provide an interesting facet to the concert, please contact Vanessa at ridewithhitch@gmail.com. For those of you who are high schools students and need to fulfill your community service hours, we have plenty of volunteers jobs waiting to be filled.

By uniting with the small businesses and local organizations, we are encouraging our citizens to ask questions about their town, relinquish the many fears of change and draw people to the heart of our town, rather than to the periphery. By engaging the youth directly, we aim to quell the current divide between them and their fellow citizens and promote living in tune with their environment.

Most importantly we encourage ideas. Ideas, in the spirit of reverence to that which we seek out in our town, will help preserve the integrity and vitality of our community at large and bring the community together. We ask that you support us fiery youngsters in our campaign for a healthy future.