It has come to our attention that concerns have been brought forward by some individuals in the Winnipeg skateboarding community about our skateboarding program “The Edge Skatepark.”

We are deeply saddened hearing that parts of this community have felt excluded at the Edge, or that some youth (members of the 2SLGBTQ+) have felt unsafe in our facilities and programs.

We care greatly about youth in the skateboarding community in Winnipeg, and this is what led us to create The Edge Skatepark program 30 years ago. Making a safe space for skateboarding has been and continues to be important to us.

This fall we have had to reduce hours at The Edge Skatepark due to staffing shortages. As a result, we have limited skate sessions available. Being a youth organization, we have prioritized our weekly evening sessions to be available for youth.

We are sorry if there has been a particular instance that has left anyone feeling unsafe, and we humbly commit to working on improving how we care for youth. We are open to all youth ages 12-17 to come and use the Skatepark through our weekday sessions.

Due to the concerns expressed we would like to respond by providing clarity around our mission and values:

All young people are welcomed and valued at Youth for Christ | Youth Unlimited (YFC) regardless of religious belief, people group, or sexual orientation. We see the hope and potential in every young person and want youth to experience that hope and potential themselves.

At YFC, our mission is to make an opportunity available for every young person to be living fully in Christ. It is that love of God we endeavour to share with young people by creating a welcoming environment where all youth can feel safe and valued. All opportunities to learn about Christianity and faith in Jesus are voluntary and optional.

YFC is a faith-based Christian Ministry that has operated in Canada for more than 75 years and has existed to love and care for youth in the diverse and dynamic communities in which it serves. YFC operates a variety of recreational programming and resource services to serve youth across a wide variety of interests and needs. These include skateboarding, counselling, sports, drop-in, summer camps and more. These activities flow from our core ministry programming.

As people of faith, we believe we have been called to the holy work of justice (Micah 6:8). Our treatment of the most vulnerable reflects our relationship with Jesus. It is our aim to embody to all youth Christ’s love without distinction or discrimination.