This is the second of three pieces of local media that dove into a strange incident that shook the foundations of Listowel, Ontario in 1995. An article that dove into the oddly humorous reaction of the town government can be found here and this is where punchline was printed.

After the shit hit the fan following “Bandfest ’95,” the Listowel Youth Support Committee wrote an open letter to clarify their position, which was printed in the Wednesday, October 4, 1995, issue of the Listowel Banner.

In the letter, the committee established their innocuous involvement in the “distasteful” behaviour and that the needs of the many may have been in jeopardy because of the “actions of a few.”

Almost thirty years have passed since this event, and we’re still wondering what to do about the youth these days. Many of the valiant efforts of the Youth Support Committee in 1995 get asked by municipal governments still. Youth retention is an issue debated during municipal elections and council meetings and there are always people prepared to complain about unruly behaviour. Lodging complaints is always easier to do than offering significant support when people seek it.

I was in that nether region between youth and adulthood when I was spitting out angry words on that stage in the Listowel Memorial Park, and the anger was justified. The state of the world, which is worse now, continues to justify my rage.

After I typed the copy of this letter for this post, I took a break. I watched an interview with Siddharth Kara about his new book, Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives, which documents the Congo’s human rights and environmental catastrophe. The interview was conducted by Amy Goodman with Nermeen Shaikh on Democracy Now!, The War and Peace Report.

When asked how huge tech conglomerates can explain away the exploitation used to produce the battery for the computer I am typing on or the evice you are reading this on, he said, “Well, by and large, these consumer-facing tech and EV companies look the other way. And these are the big names we’re all familiar with: Apple, Tesla, Google, Microsoft, Samsung. I mean, you can go down the list. They all buy some, most or all of their cobalt from the Congo because there’s no other cobalt to buy, quite frankly. They’re all aware, to some degree, I’m sure, of the conditions on the ground. And by and large, they simply offer PR statements that their supply chains are audited, that they’re certified, that they protect and preserve the human rights of every participant in their supply chain, that they have zero-tolerance policies on child labour, that mining is done sustainably, so you, as a consumer, you, as a shareholder, don’t worry about it.

“But the truth, the truth that the Congolese people have to share, is completely different. They are at the bottom of the supply chain, with no alternative but to eke out this base, scrounging, hazardous, miserable existence for a dollar or two a day, feeding cobalt up the chain to these behemoth tech and EV companies.”

My point is that the people we call successful may be the bad apples, and those youth with a mouthful of anger might be justified when they question the status quo.

Youth committee responds to criticism

Dear Editor,

The Listowel Youth Support Committee is a group of adults and youth who were brought together in response to a recommendation arising from a public meeting in January 1995. The goal of the committee is to identify, develop and facilitate support for youth and the issues impacting youth in the Listowel area. Areas of focus identified include counselling and medical services, information and education for parents and youth, leisure activities and facilities, and opportunities for youth involvement in the community.

Since the initial meeting in April, the committee has met biweekly. The committee has been busy networking with other communities to learn from their attempts to address the needs of their youth. The committee has had many contacts in this community to investigate facility possibilities and funding opportunities.

In June, several members of the committee were joined by R. Finch of LDSS (Listowel District Secondary School) and Brussel’s Youth Centre members in a walk-a-thon from Brussels to Listowel to elicit funds and show support for the establishment of a youth centre in Listowel. Approximately $850 was raised. A survey of youth and adults in the area was undertaken to assess the support and need for a youth centre in Listowel. Approximately 800 responses have been received to date and are presently being analyzed.

Several activities were planned for youth during the summer months to demonstrate the committee’s commitment to area youth and support for the committee. Thirty-nine youth attended a day at Canada’s Wonderland in mid-August, supported by the committee. The committee assisted with advertising and searching out funding to reduce costs for the youth who participated. The trip was a positive experience that was enjoyed by all.

The youth involved in our committee strongly felt a concert in the park supporting local talent would interest youth of the area and show the committee was interested in what local youth felt was important. The idea of a non-perishable food donation as admission was made by youth members who felt this, would give the youth attending a chance to show community responsibility.

The youth from the bands were encouraged to participate in the organization of the event, including designing their own posters. Their first attempt was vetoed by the committee members involved because it was felt to be unsuitable. A second poster was designed and put up before the committee had a chance to see it. The portion of the poster found to be rude and offensive by the town council members was not noticed by the committee until after the poster was already posted around town.

The committee discussed the unsuitable comments and requested they be removed or covered by the individuals who placed them there. It was feared the total removal of the poster by the committee at this point would be interpreted as censoring by the youth. Unfortunately, the persons responsible for the comments chose not to heed this request despite clear directions to do so.

Prior to the event, the police and the PARCC Board were both consulted by the committee and made aware of the plans for the event. The committee sought out these sources, actively seeking suggestions and recommendations for planning the event. At that time, no objections were noted, and all suggestions were implemented.

At the actual event, it again became apparent some of the individuals involved did not embrace the committee’s philosophy and intentions of the event. These persons instead chose to repeatedly use profane and insulting language in a display of behaviour which many attendees, youth as well as adult, found distasteful. Again the committee members found themselves in a difficult position and decided to delay censoring the performers.

The members attending felt the language dramatically improved after the opening couple of acts. It is, therefore, unfortunate that the only performances mentioned and observed by the town council member were comprised of the first two bands. The nudity mentioned in town council meeting was not, in fact, observed by the committee members present.

The committee did not anticipate the difficulties with noise as numerous other events have been held in the park and other facilities, such as the arena, before this event. Unfortunately, it was impossible to predict how the sound would travel. Because of our need to minimize costs, we were unable to utilize experts in sound production, which in hindsight, may have prevented some complaints.

It is very apparent to the committee that many lessons can be learned from this event and its aftermath. The response of the youth of this community to the town’s concerns is of great importance to this committee. The youth of this community feel they are all being judged and labelled as irresponsible because of the actions of a few.

We hope this letter clarifies the process of events and our position in this matter. We continue striving to connect youth and adults of our community while searching out and attempting to address the issues of the youth of Listowel and area. We hope the committee and our youth will continue to be supported by our community.

Sincerely,

The Listowel

Youth Support

Committee

Does anyone reading this have a copy of the posters being discussed? I have no idea what they looked like or whether the complaints about them were justified. Were they offensive?

Somehow all three pieces manage to omit the words “Caesar salad.” If you know why this phrase is historically significant, tell the world in the comments.

Cover photo: A double exposure snapped on a Chachi On Acid tour in Charlottetown. Jeff VanWilligen, a member of the Viciously Rotten Band (“Profanity”) at “Bandfest ’95” had joined Chachi On Acid (“Nudity Band”).

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