Events

On January 30th - February 1st 2009 a group people with Type 1 diabetes converged at YMCA WANAKITA, an outdoor center situated on the shores of beautiful Koshlong Lake in the Haliburton Highlands.

With over 1000 acres of forest, 25km of trails and access to all the equipment necessary to enjoy it, we donned our long johns and woollies and headed for the hills.

The event was a complete success! All twenty-seven participants arrived Friday evening excited, open-minded and ready for adventure. We began with a workshop led by Andrew McMartin of The PINE Project, which found us all creating sparks and flames (literally!) from the energy created by our teamwork. We learned how to light fires by friction; proving to ourselves, and each other, that we can create something incredible from nothing if we focus our energy and set our minds to it. What better metaphor to set the tone for a brand new organization’s first event?

That night, sparks of excitement and inspiration were lit inside us all. Beautiful weather - sunny days and snowy nights, allowed us to take full advantage of all YMCA Wanakita had to offer. We were out on the trails cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, skating on the lake, tobogganing down Cardiac Hill, partaking in high ropes challenges way up in the trees and more!
We had an awesome early morning yoga session led by Chris Jarvis, as well as a fun and lively session on getting to know our True Colours, led by Shawn Shepheard. There were plenty of opportunities to hang out and chat around the fire and share stories over delicious hearty, home cooked meals.
The energy in the lodge was contagious and engaging - despite long, full days, people stayed up until the wee hours of the morning playing piano, singing and simply enjoying each other’s company. Incredible connections were made and the bonds created will only get stronger as we work towards common goals well into the future.

Proudly supported by our Founding Patrons