Welcoming newcomers through recreation

Tobogganing is a quintessential Canadian cultural experience. It’s fitting that of all the activities offered during a program designed to help newcomers become valuable members of Kamloops society, it was sliding down a snowy hillside that was the most popular. 

“Everyone had so much fun. It was amazing,” says Nicole Beauregard, former Sport Development Coordinator for the City of Kamloops.  

Beyond the irresistible joy of playing in snow, the Community Wellness Program’s overall success had less to do with the specifics of the recreation and all to do with making it as inclusive and accessible as possible. 

“The whole family could come and play together and all at once,” Beauregard says. 

Overcoming barriers

She says the Community Wellness Program grew out of a decade of partnerships building with community groups like PLAYKamloops, Pacific Sport, the YMCA, and, especially, Kamloops Immigrant Services. By offering different recreation together they realized there was a need for movement based programming for new Canadians. 

“Newcomers carry so many barriers, but language is the biggest,” says Yenny Yao, the Team Lead at Kamloops Immigrant Services. “If you can’t speak English it doubles the barriers. I think sport is a universal language. It’s simple and easy to learn. Through sport it’s really easy to make connections with other people and break down barriers.”

The barriers are especially large for immigrant women, who are often isolated at home looking after children. To encourage them to be more active and to help them socialize, Beauregard and Yao created the Community Wellness Program. They provided free activities. A grant covered the cost and the City provided facilities for free. But it wasn’t as popular as they expected. 

Learning along the way

Debriefing on the fly they realized the women wanted to participate, but couldn’t leave their kids at home. When they offered co-current programming, like soccer and art for the kids, while the women went for a hike or tried Zoomba, attendance increased. But they still felt like they could do better.

“It was when we opened it up to families that we had phenomenal numbers,” says Beauregard. “It was most successful when the whole family could come play together.”

Some nights the families would do a single activity together, like swimming at the pool, skating or tobogganing. Other times they could try a variety of activities–pickleball, soccer, juggling, art–moving from station to station.

Preparation is key

Ahead of time staff and volunteers provided education about what to bring and what to expect in many different languages. For the recreation nights they provided all the equipment and instruction. The locations were always on the north shore of Kamloops, within walking distance of many immigrant rich neighbourhoods, and on major bus routes. They also provided free bus tickets to those that needed it.

“By really reflecting on making the program as easy to access as possible, it made it easy for people to participate,” says Yao. “They could try new things without any barriers.”

The program’s success reaches deep into the fabric of the community.

Nurturing valuable community members

For the kids, exposure to all the activities allowed them to discover passions they might never have tried otherwise. One boy learned to paddle at the Community Wellness Program and is now a member of the canoe and kayak club. A girl discovered skating and is now a figure skater and another is on her high school volleyball team now. The parents met other parents facing the same challenges of integrating into a new home. 

Everyone built connections to Kamloops and Canada, which Yao says will help them settle in and become valuable members of society.

“Programs like this are so important,” says Yao. “They make newcomers feel so welcome.”

About the Author

Ryan Stuart has two loves: being active, especially outdoors, and writing. His best days combine the two. Ryan is a contributor to many outdoor and adventure sport magazines and websites and writes blog posts and hosts webinars for the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC. He’s based in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. You can follow his work on Instagram @Ryan_adventures