Give Island children, and visitors, a place to discover

Commentary
GUEST OPINION
PAMELA KORITANSKY
as published in The Guardian, March 24, 2009


I have returned to P.E.I. to raise a family after several years of being away. Since returning I have often heard it said that P.E.I. is the ideal place to raise a family. This has given me reason to wonder if this is really true.

My husband and I and our children recently took a trip to Portland, Maine and while there visited a "children's museum." The museum was an interactive discovery centre that engaged children in exploring and discovering lots of interesting things about the way the world works: how wind affects the movement of balls, how gravity affects different objects and what the inside of the space shuttle looks like. It afforded our children the opportunity to step inside a life-size fire engine and press buttons and see lights flash, to walk through a child-size storefront, take out money at an imitation ATM machine, pretend to be a veterinarian at the child-size clinic complete with stuffed animals in need of medical attention, and a tree for climbing, to mention only a few. It was a welcome place to visit as a family where we could explore and run around indoors on a cold February day. It was open every day, all day and offered a variety of really great programs for children of all ages.

My children are preschool-aged and I have found it difficult to find things to do with them and as a family here on P.E.I. We love being outdoors and enjoy all the excellent parks in Charlottetown, but often find ourselves "stuck" indoors due to weather that is too harsh for preschool children. We do enjoy visits to the CARI pool and the library, but apart from time and day specific playgroups there is no facility (to my knowledge) that families can visit together for children to run, play and discover.

It seems to me that as a family-friendly tourist destination, Charlottetown would be proud to add to its repertoire a state-of-the-art children's discovery centre that would beckon families to visit here year round. It would be an asset to many of the already popular Island festivals for families and children, and would not be dependent on the weather.

I just recently read the Island prosperity plan and couldn't be more convinced that an essential part of "creating a brighter future" and "investing in the people" is to build a place for children to explore, learn and discover. An interactive discovery centre or museum like the one I visited in Portland would promote creativity and a love of learning among Island children. The exhibits and displays could inspire Island children with ideas about renewable resources like wind energy and aquaculture innovations. I would love to see federal infrastructure money and provincial spending delegated to a project like this. With all the plans for a bioresearch park in place, perhaps the government should consider integrating an investment in the futures of Island children by committing to establish a children's discovery centre in Charlottetown as a part of this innovative plan.

The City of Charlottetown and the province would do well to put its heart, soul and resources into supporting a children's discovery centre because it would be an investment in the prosperity of Island families and that is an investment worth making.

A children's discovery centre would give families a destination to be together and "take 30 for the family." It would be an attraction for any family contemplating moving to P.E.I. as well as retaining Islanders who live here now and are starting their families. Not to mention the fact that this discovery centre could be a real meeting place for Islanders and newcomers alike to share in the joy and delight of their children learning and discovering together.

Where much can be said of P.E.I. being a great place to raise a family (relatively low cost of living, friendly, safe, etc...) we should not let that stop us from finding a way to make our Island even more family-friendly for residents and visitors alike.

Pamela Koritansky is a native Islander. After years of travel and study abroad, she came back to P.E.I. and earned a bachelor of arts degree in political science at UPEI in May 2003. She is currently a stay-at-home mother of two children, aged 2 1/2 years and six months.