Summer Settlement Program (SSP) provided Educational, sports and healthy activities for our newcomer youth and adults; featuring trips to Blue Jays Baseball game and Royal Ontario Museum and even sailing through Centre Island.
Mania and Newcomers’ Canoeing Trip:
As a member of the SSP team, my name is Mania and this is my short and special ” Canoe Trip” story:
It was a new and amazing adventure; an adrenaline pumping experience in the waters of Center Island, the SSP team along with ISS teams have arranged a canoe trip for a group of young newcomers. We decided to experience the thrill of canoeing adventure, it was a hazy and humid Friday morning on the 10th of August as we headed to the Island. I was accompanied by a group of 15 newcomer participants, some of whom had never done any canoeing at all. As we progressed in our canoeing for a couple of kilometers, the glow in the eyes of the group was visible as they enjoyed paddling along the beautiful island and its vast stretches of water. Soon, it was time to sing in unison; interestingly, we all hummed: O’Canada… The trip lasted for almost five hours, ending with a hot lunch served at the end of the trip.
The experience was memorable because it gave us an opportunity to know our strengths and weaknesses as a team, and how collaboration and the good leadership can make any journey a successful one. This adventure will forever remain in the hearts and minds of all of us who _as a newcomer_experienced for the first time, the wonders of Canadian waters.