Black History Month: BLK Winterfest brings people of colour outdoors
Hike MTL is bringing people of colour into the great outdoors and, for the month of February, celebrating Black History Month one snowy activity at a time.
"When we think of Black history, obviously we're not thinking of going down the winter slopes," said Hike MTL founder Jamillah Jean. "But I really thought that this would be a really nice homage for my community, and in a way that we don't typically see."
READ MORE: Montreal family shares the joy of hiking, outdoor activities with BIPOC community
To commemorate, the Montreal-based initiative announced it is launching its second edition of BLK Winterfest.
"[It's] a way to motivate people and encourage them to get outdoors during winter, which is really difficult," Jean explains. "It's Black History Month, and I think this would be a beautiful way to celebrate."
BLK Winterfest is "a vibe," according to Jean, who calls the event a unique way to both honour Black History Month and battle the winter blues.
"It's a time that depression is quite high in our community," she said. "I think that this is really a great way to encourage the community to get outdoors and active and reap the benefits mentally and physically."
Hike MTL initially started as a way for Jean to get her family outside during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It has since flourished into an initiative that consciously creates safe spaces in nature for people of colour.
Activities for BLK Winterfest include:
- Feb. 3: Intro to cross-country skiing (beginner and intermediate trails; kid-friendly; transportation included)
- Feb. 4: Snowshoeing (beginner and intermediate trails; kid-friendly; transportation included)
- Feb. 10 and 11: Intro to ice climbing (Beginner wall)
- Feb. 17 and 18: Intro to downhill skiing and snowboarding (beginner and intermediate trails; kid-friendly; transportation included)
- Feb. 24: Skating in the forest (Transportation included)
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