Can we do more for young people? This question asked by the executive director of youth employment centres in the Montreal area led, two years later, to the opening of Café Jeunesse de Montréal. Following a youth survey, two employees came up with the idea of a centre where all youth services would be represented. The project was first submitted to Human Resources Development Canada, which agreed to sponsor it.

The Café jeunesse project was next presented to an interdepartmental panel representing 13 federal departments, organizations and agencies. The objective then became to reach an agreement on the creation of a one-stop centre for youth services. At the same time, the Service Canada Initiative was looking for experiments in delivering public services and guaranteeing a financial base.

Café jeunesse de Montréal, which opened in April 2000, gives young people between the ages of 18 and 35 unlimited free Internet access for occupational or useful purposes such as job-hunting, education, health and other information. The site chosen in the Quartier Latin, surrounded by the CEGEP de Vieux Montréal and UQAM, the NFB and Cinémathèque québécoise, is perfect. The Café receives an average of 40 visitors a day, and has peak periods when the number climbs as high as 150 youths. The objective is to meet the needs of the clientele and promote federal government services "without waving the flag!", as the director puts it. Occasionally, the premises are also loaned for departmental recruiting campaigns. A young person who visits the Café shows their ID, after which a computer is unlocked for them. A guide is on hand to answer questions and help the youth if necessary, but the young are independent and many prefer to do their own searching without help. If the guide does not have the answer or if the resources capable of helping the youth are not part of the federal government, the young person is steered towards the appropriate services.

The Café has five employees, including two part-timers who serve as counsellors for the youth who drop in. A few people also work on special projects. They are all HRDC personnel. A plan for converting a student job into a regular one was even established with the Public Service Commission so that a student employee could join the public service upon graduation.

As with many projects, even though the departments agree to cooperate, the very nature of that cooperation depends on the representative chosen to serve on the working committees. Some, more open, energetically plunged into the project while others put on the brakes by constantly citing rules and procedures. In general, the meetings were very lively, especially when preparing documentation and information. Subcommittees were formed and the preparations for opening the Café were completed. The interdepartmental panel is not at a stage where it has to review its role and the project management mechanisms to provide it with longer-term funding. Some favour the creation of a board of directors with about five members backed by an interdepartmental panel made up of resource-persons from the various departments and agencies.

The Café regularly conducts surveys to assess user satisfaction. It stands at about 90%, which is much higher than the rates report for other government services. In many cases, respondents who notice the named "Service Canada" on the evaluation form are surprised to learn they are dealing with a federal agency.

With its mission redefined, the Café now serves as a one-stop youth centre for information intended for youth. It is also a meeting place for departments that want to reach out to young people. Lastly, the Café serves as an employment centre for summer jobs. An orientation based on environmentalist values has also been adopted, and the arts are promoted there by incorporating exhibitions by young Montreal artists.

Even though its employees are assured of a permanent job, the future of the Café is tied to HRDC which provides coordination and much of the funding. The youth website is not yet integrated with other government services and its interface is not uniform like that of other government information sites. Direct contact with Service Canada is now being pursued.