This year, we expanded our outdoor summer programming! We offered two nature day camps at Pike Lake where newcomer youth took part in a trail hike, outdoor sports, and a campfire program with park interpreters. We also introduced a new program where clients could try dragon boating on the river, in addition to our annual canoeing lessons. And we were able to add a wider variety of programs to supplement our high-demand Family, Fun & Fit programs such as a group bike ride, a meet the creature program at the zoo, and gardening workshops co-hosted by the Saskatoon Food Bank.
One of our fantastic Program Facilitators, Jessy, curated this slate of new programs and we caught up with her to find out how they turned out. Jessy said her favourite program to facilitate was the Nature Day Camp for youth ages 14-17. “They had so much fun at Pike Lake. We cooked hot dogs over the fire, played volleyball, learned different ways to start a fire safely from the parks interpreters, and it was just a nice day spent outdoors,” Jessy said.
These summer activities allowed us to engage 232 clients in local outdoor experiences that they can carry into future summers! When asked about the impact these programs have on our clients, Jessy said, “I see many clients being more comfortable trying new things with their family or friends because of the programs they have joined with GGP. They ask lots of questions about common things Canadians do and they prepare themselves to do those activities. It is important to give our clients a chance to experience these activities in a safe space, with the resources they need, so they feel encouraged to do so on their own in the future.”
Thank you to Parks Canada for providing the equipment, education, and opportunities that made a wide variety of fantastic outdoor programming possible for our clients this summer. We are so grateful for your collaboration in getting newcomers out into nature.
