winter highlights: January- March 2023

The first program to start up in 2023 was Sole Sisters. Thirty-three ladies explored the Springwood Trails system on January 11th. This winter, the group has tackled local favourites, such as the Qualicum Beach Museum Trail and Moorecroft, and they visited two trails that were new to the group: “Bowser Tower Trail” and “Wildwood Park and Beyond.” The leaders are very diligent about doing a prewalk each week to check the trails for fallen trees, trail closures, and other unexpected obstacles. With a heavy snowfall in February, these prewalks were particularly important in determining if the trails were in good condition. On average, there have been twenty-two walkers each week.

 Thursday-night basketball continues to be one of ACRA’s most popular programs. The class maximum is twenty, and the program has been full every week that it has been offered. Often, there is a waitlist with two to four people on it, and weekly registration fills within 48 hours of opening. 

Volunteer facilitator Michael Briones works hard to manage this very passionate group of youth. One participant commented that he loves the program because everyone is friendly, the program is free, and it’s an easy way to pick up a game when he’s available. Nine sessions were offered in the Winter Basketball season. 

 Every second Thursday, the Beyond Beginner Marimba class meets to rehearse for ninety minutes. This four-person group has been playing together for a few years and is committed to maintaining their skills through regular practices while their instructor is on maternity leave. The group members enjoy the bi-weekly opportunity to socialize and fill the Hall with the uplifting sounds of marimba magic. 

A six-week Gym Play program taught by Keenan Bevan and student leader Caelyn Corcionne was scheduled from February 3th to March 10th. Both the Preschool program and the Child’s Play program were full with thirteen children. Several of the children were returning students who had really enjoyed the fall session. Unfortunately, two of the six classes had to be cancelled due to instructor illness.

The Preschool group focused on building positive experiences in a gym setting. They danced and wiggled to sing-a-long action songs, played an assortment of movement games, and delighted in cooperative parachute games.

The Child’s play group had the opportunity to sample a variety of sports and activities including basketball, floor hockey, and skipping. They also engaged in throwing challenges and tag games.

Recreation Coordinator Kristine Stephenson had the pleasure of attending a workshop about volunteering at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre. The speaker shared tips for retaining and recruiting volunteers through good training and management practices. Kristine particularly enjoyed the activity where participants brainstormed ways to thank volunteers. Knowing that there is a volunteer shortage in our community, expressing gratitude for current volunteers seems more important than ever.

In February, Recreation Coordinator Keenan Bevan left the Arrowsmith Recreation Team. He has joined the team at SOS to work with their Child and Youth Team. Tracy Cargo-White will be returning from her maternity leave on June 1st. To bridge the gap between Keenan’s departure and Tracy’s return, Kristine Stephenson will be increasing the hours she works, and John Stephenson has joined the Recreation Team and will be assisting on a very part-time basis until June 1st.