Hosted by the Township of Minden Hills (Emily Stonehouse) and supervised by IDST faculty Derya Terhan, students gathered and analyzed data from their literature review, a 2019 local community consultation, an online survey and several telephone surveys.

This report was designed to equip the Township of Minden Hills with a foundation for up-to-date research and to suggest initiatives as support for change.

Highlights from the Study:

· The top four factors for the study participants in deciding where to live were Employment, Family Ties, the Physical Environment and Housing;

· 59% of participants felt engaged in the community of Minden Hills and the largest group within that (46%), only felt somewhat engaged;

· Leaving their community to go to high school in Haliburton means young adults in other townships may start feeling disconnected from an early age;

· Recreational programming for young adults was seen as limited, and often geared towards the senior population and during working hours;

· A shortage of evening entertainment activities led to feelings of isolation;

· There is a lack of formal support systems for youth employment in the County;

· Increased internet access was identified by several survey participants in the open-ended questions - as “what is important to this age group is the ability to network easily”;

· While literature findings did not find it to be a significant factor in attracting young adults, study participants felt as though Minden Hill’s natural beauty and rural location had a positive influence in their decision where to live.

Page 35 of the report includes a table of recommendations that the Township of Minden Hills can consider in their strategic planning going forward.]]>
Lindsay Dixon]]>