We can learn from Gull Lake youth centre project , says Councillor

Posted on March 3, 2026 by Ryan Dahlman

By Marcus Day

Maple Creek News

Gull Lake has been applauded for creating a twice-a-week youth drop-in centre called The Junction.

Now the idea has been floated of something similar happening in Maple Creek.

The Junction is being launched with support from the Swift Current Centre for Youth Initiative, the Town of Gull Lake, and East Side Church of God.  It will run every Tuesday and Thursday, from 3.15pm to 6.30pm, beginning on March 3.

The program is open to all youth aged 10 to 17, who can access the furnished drop-in area by entering through the south doors of the Gull Lake Community Hall.

There they will find: air hockey and foosball (table soccer); board and card games; music; seating; and, hopefully, a relaxed and social environment to hang out with friends in a space they can call their own.

Supper will be provided on Thursdays.

Those behind The Junction call themselves The Gull Lake Initiative, which will run the centre.

The Gull Lake Initiative say that when residents were asked about what would make the biggest difference for families, one message stood out: youth needed a space of their own.

At the Maple Creek Town Council meeting on Wednesday, February 25, Councillor Mike Stork praised Gull Lake for what it had achieved.

“It sounds really interesting and well done to Gull Lake on what they have done,” he said, adding that it showed municipalities did not have to act on their own.

“There are lots of people out there doing great things,” he said.

Councillor Stork said great ideas, such as The Junction, could inspire other communities to do something similar.