'A really good place to be': Newcomers to Sask. learn ski lessons at Mission Ridge
For the second straight year, the Canadian Ski Patrol (CSP) Qu’Appelle Zone along with Mission Ridge Winter Park invited the Regina Open Door Society (RODS) and the North Central Family Centre (NCFC) for a day of family fun.
Tubing and skiing were just some of the activities offered at the day long event. Among the attendees were many newcomers to Saskatchewan.
For some, the event marked a first time skiing experience. Omar Ahmed, who moved to Regina from Egypt, was one of them.
“It means so much because in my home country we don’t have ice at all,” he said.
“We do a lot of activities in water but not on ice.”
Victoria Flores, a spokesperson for RODS, said it’s important for new families to get outside and experience winter.
“When it comes to winter sports and winter activities, it’s a really great way for them to feel part of the community and maybe find a new hobby or new sport for them to do in the future,” she said.
CSP was on location providing free hands on lessons to the youth.
“The Canadian Ski Patrol loves to be out here at Mission Ridge,” Roseann Nasser, CSP Qu’Appelle president, told CTV News.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts sent to your device
“We love to see people skiing and we like to see them skiing safely, as part of this opportunity the kids are taking the lessons to learn basic skills and to be safe on the hill.”
For newcomers to Saskatchewan, skiing is a way for families to experience a winter with a seasonal favourite.
“The first thing you want to do is [ask] ‘Where is everything? What do I do for friends?’ And they [friendships] usually happen in schools or with your neighbours and in activities you join,” Flores said.
Skiing the hills, mixed with the cold weather can be a challenge for new Canadians, but Ahmed said the two are similar.
"It’s like skiing, it is very hard at the beginning but like you have to keep warm and wear a lot of clothes and it will work out eventually,” Ahmed said.
All in all, Ahmed enjoyed the day, and the lessons learned along the way.
“It was a really fun day with a lot of helpful staff and it is overall a really good place to be.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.