Coun. Corey Gardi’s comments were made as city council approved a new community safety and well-being plan
Ward 5 Coun. Corey Gardi knows of no greater factor affecting the mental health of local youth than social media.
“I don’t know that there’s a bigger [issue] impacting young people, and I’m talking about those in their early teens and younger than that,” Coun. Gardi told a meeting of city council on Monday.
“If we could, in some form or fashion, just flag that and see how we as a community could maybe do something collectively to address that issue,” he said.
Gardi’s comments about social media were made as councillors discussed a community safety and well-being plan addressing concerns tied to substance use, mental health and other issues.
Gardi said he was concerned there was no reference to social media addiction.
Other councillors believe the plan didn’t adequately address intimate partner violence (IPV), a major issue in Sault Ste. Marie.
Gardi is an educator with a quarter-century of experience at the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board.
He’s also current president of the Huron-Superior branch of the Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario.
“Working with young people on a daily basis, I can be confident in telling you that if we’re looking at challenges as it relates to achievement in any form, ways of managing their mental health … I think social media should be embedded someplace in our community plans such as this.
“All of us know our young people — well, all of us, but specifically our young people who are very easily influenced and are still developing — spend a heck of a lot of time on platforms that do nothing for them,” Gardi said.
Social media could be deleterious to the mental health of the city’s youth, evoking anxiety or affecting their self-image, he said.
Gardi acknowledged that responsibility for managing the screen time of young people lies with their parents or caregivers, but he still felt social media deserved mention in the new plan.
Based on responses from more than 1,200 residents, the 220-page plan was approved as written, but councillors were told they may still make additions or deletions as it is implemented.
The five-year plan focuses on prevention, early response and system alignment.
It was prepared by Oakville-based OrgCode Consulting Inc.
The plan identifies four priorities for collective action:
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Safer shared public spaces – Sault Ste. Marie will improve safety in shared public spaces by strengthening a co-ordinated presence across sectors, applying clear community standards and connecting people showing distress to health and social supports earlier so crises are less likely to escalate in public areas
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Early outreach and support – Sault Ste. Marie will strengthen early outreach by creating a more consistent, co-ordinated presence that engages people when distress first appears, connects them to health and social supports sooner and reduces preventable crises that currently escalate before help arrives
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Housing stability and reduced homelessness – Sault Ste. Marie will strengthen housing stability by improving co-ordination across outreach, shelter, health and housing services, creating clearer pathways out of crisis and increasing prevention and stabilization supports so fewer people cycle through homelessness
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Youth belonging, prevention and structured time – Sault Ste. Marie will strengthen youth well-being by expanding opportunities for belonging, connection and safe, structured activities that reduce stress and isolation. This work is hoped to be informed by the Icelandic Prevention Model, which focuses on increasing protective factors, reducing risk and providing consistent, accessible opportunities for youth to engage in meaningful activities
After the new community safety and well-being plan was approved last night, Lisa Case, chief executive officer of the Canadian Mental Health Association Algoma, issued a statement on behalf of the Sault Ste. Marie HART Hub.
“We are encouraged to see the City of Sault Ste. Marie approve a community safety and well-being plan. It’s critically important that our city has a roadmap to help all engaged partners and community members focus on prevention and shared responsibility across sectors,” the statement said.
“We look forward to advancing the cross-sector co-ordination outlined in the plan, supporting our continued efforts to provide wraparound care, expand 24/7 outreach and connect people to stable housing, mental health and substance use supports.”
“The HART Hub was created to support that co-ordinated response. By bringing together addiction treatment, housing programs and mental health care, we are building wraparound supports that help individuals connect to the right services without having to navigate complex systems alone.
“Through expanded 24/7 outreach and co-ordinated case management, we are working to reduce repeated emergency responses and support long-term stability and well-being. Supporting people’s journey to wellness and stability also helps reduce pressure on our hospitals, law enforcement and emergency services while strengthening neighbourhood safety,” Case said.
During last night’s meeting, Ward 3 Coun. Angela Caputo said she was disappointed that she did not see a greater emphasis on intimate partner violence in the plan.
“I was also a little disappointed that local groups such as Angie’s Angels, Women in Crisis or any of the women’s shelters were not consulted,” Caputo said.
“I’m not sure if they were at the table, but I think they would have had something valuable to add in the housing and homelessness areas.
“I do believe this is something that is going to really shape the framework of what we do over the next four or five years as a community. So I would like to see this maybe revisited with a different lens after these comments are taken in, if that’s possible,” Caputo said.
