Packed open house event used to collect opinions

There was nothing skinny about this party.

At least 150 people attended an open house at the old firehall in Jasper on the weekend for the Skinny, a bi-weekly newsletter distributed throughout town as an attempt to help youth feel connected to the community.

The party was a hit, with music by DJ Geoff Fraser, delicious food by chefs Miguel Gonclaves and Jamie McMath, and a projection screen showing locally-produced films. 

The night also included input-collection activities such as “dot-mocracy” or a wall covered in issues of the Skinny on which participants were asked to stick dots to reflect their tastes, a speaker’s corner-style video booth, and questionnaires.

Bob Covey, editor of the Skinny and coordinator of the Jasper Community Team, said he was pleasantly surprised by the event’s turnout. 

“There was awesome representation by our target audience and people pulled together to set it up and pull it off,” he said. “It just goes to show how talented some of the young people in our community are at making an event happen when they’re into it and they believe in it.”

The Skinny was conceived following community consultations held in the summer to address late-night noise in the community. The project was set up in early August for a six-month trial with a budget of $15,000.

One of the goals of the open house was to collect feedback regarding people’s response to the Skinny. “If we can find creative ways to evaluate our success, then hopefully we’ll be able to show council that this is a worthwhile endeavor,” Covey said.

Director of Community and Family Services Kathleen Waxer said she was thrilled with the turnout, which she believes is a demonstration of interest.

“I think the Skinny has served the purpose I was hoping for, to provide a connection to the younger adults living in the community, many of whom are living here a short time, and provide an invitation to participate in the activities that are going on,” Waxer said.

One thing that stuck out for Waxer when reading the evaluations was a number of readers commented that before reading the Skinny they didn’t realize “how many cool people there are in the community.”

“There seemed to be a positive feel about the profiles done each week,” she said.

For those who missed the party but want to submit their opinions, questionnaires on the Skinny are still available at the Community Outreach office at 612 Connaught Dr. and will be accepted for a few weeks.