Lynnette Patenaude, 16, works on an art maze in downtown Edmonton's Churchill Square Friday in preparation for the Edmonton Urban Games being held Saturday and Sunday. (David Bloom, QMI Agency)

EDMONTON - Jane Creba's legacy has come to Churchill Square.

The Edmonton Urban Games owes its existence to the horrific killing of the 15-year-old on Boxing Day in 2005, when she got caught in the crossfire of a gang shoot-out on a Toronto street while on a shopping trip.

Creba's death sparked a national outcry against street gangs and youth violence. Shortly after, Prime Minister Stephen Harper convened a national conference to come up with solutions to the growing crisis.

Edmonton's Mark Cherrington, a youth court worker, was one of the participants.

"It was much like every other gang conference," he recalled. "It was a bunch of professionals talking big picture."

During a break, Cherrington went outside and saw a bunch of kids from a nearby low-income housing project.

They rolled their eyes when Cherrington told them what was going on, "so I took them to Swiss Chalet and said I'd buy them lunch, but in return they had to tell me what they thought would work."

And the rest is history.

The Urban Games, which run Saturday and Sunday, is the first event of its kind in North America.

All the events are designed, planned and run by local "marginalized" youth -- kids in foster care, young offenders, etc.

Participants will take part in events like "rap debates," design fashions out of recycled materials and participate in dance workships, writing competitions and more. There will also be performances and and workshops.

The winners of the competitions will get post-secondary scholarships.

Organizers hired 17 kids one year ago to design events and promote the games to other youth.

It's supported by the feds, province and city, along with dozens of corporate and nonprofit sponsors.

One of the events is a mammoth labyrinth, where participants face life questions at every turn. Each choice takes them in a different direction.

"A lot of it was inspired by my life," says 16-year-old Stephen, who designed Ah- Maze-ing. "Life is like a maze. You don't know where it will take you and if you choose the wrong way, you could end up at a dead end."

His father is a homeless drug addict. His mother, also an addict, died from complications caused by years of substance abuse. Stephen and his siblings were apprehended by social workers seven years ago and have lived in foster homes ever since.

For years, Stephen simmered with bitterness.

One day he was arrested after a vandalism spree and spent 18 hours in a holding cell.

"I realized I was headed somewhere I didn't want to go," he said. "I could have gotten really mad and just said, 'screw life. Life sucks' and given up. But I chose not to go that way."

Stephen now hopes to go to university and get a business degree.

Cherrington said he's seen all the participants turn their lives around.

"Before we hired them, nine of the kids had a combined 100 court appearances," he said.

"Since they were hired a year ago, that number has dropped to three appearances, all of which were from previous matters."

Cherrington believes programs like this, which give kids a sense of accomplishment, are the most effective way to reduce youth crime.

"The justice system is a janitorial service," he said. "And it's expensive. Youth court alone costs $6,000 to $8,000 an hour."

But, he acknowledges, it's hard for people to see how effective preventative programs can be.

"How do you count crimes that didn't happen?"

andrew.hanon@sunmedia.ca