It all started as a way to get her family outside during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, but much to the surprise of founder Jamillah Jean, Hike MTL has since blossomed into an initiative that consciously creates safe spaces in nature for people of colour.
"Getting out in nature has always been this grounding process, for myself, at least. So, this is how it really started," she told CTV News. "I'm very cognitive and when we're outdoors, there's not a lot of people of colour hiking."
Jean, who calls herself a proud Haitian and first-generation Canadian, says she's always had a love of being outside -- even if at times she's the only person of colour on the trails.
"When I go outdoors, I don't see people of colour. Period. I don't see people of colour outdoors on trails or the ski slopes or doing any type of outdoor activity," she said. "This is beyond just us. This is a bigger issue. I want to create a space where it's a safe space for people to feel like, 'OK, I could venture out. I could actually go outdoors.'"
She created Hike MTL last May to encourage people of colour to take that leap and enjoy the outdoors -- together.
Depending on the activity, which can range from kid-friendly hikes to ice climbing, Jean says the group ranges anywhere from 10 to 30 participants.
"It's been really a blessing. I feel very honoured to even have that space and have people come in and feel safe," she said. "I want to share this need for the outdoor space to be more diverse. It's a must."
Jean points out showing people of colour that they are allowed to take up space in nature is especially important in her role as a mother to 11-year-old Nahyma and five-year-old Jahya.
"I want her [my daughter] to be in a space that she feels like she has a sense of belonging, not that she's an outsider coming in and joining this space," said Jean, who also works as a sexual exploitation and runaway specialist.
Representation matters, she stresses, even if we sometimes downplay its importance.
"If I don't see someone of some kind of ethnic background [where I am], I'm going to hesitate," Jean points out. "I'm going to be like, 'Yeah, I'm not too sure.' But the moment I do see other people of colour, for some reason, if you see someone that you can identify with, even in the smallest way, you're going to be like, 'OK.'"
As Quebec officials continue to loosen COVID-19 restrictions, Jean says she hopes to expand Hike MTL's reach, travelling across the province and perhaps even to other parts of Canada and the U.S.
"There are just so many things that I think as a family we love to do and I'd love to share that with the community," Jean said. "That would be great."
Keep up with Hike MTL's activities on their website and their Instagram page.
