Leaf Rapids Education Centre is embarking on the first phase of a project that it hopes will improve the overall health of students and staff and eventually the community as a whole.
The school of 160 students in a community of about 600 people 235 kilometres northeast of Thompson is developing a gym as the first stage of a three-phase project that aspires to include a nutrition program and a cultural centre as well.
The first phase is being supported by a $2,000 Share2Care grant from PHE [Physical and Health Education] Canada and The Co-operators. LREC was one of only seven schools across Canada to receive the grant from among 199 who applied.
“With this grant and the support of our school division, we have a kickstart for phase one of the project,” says Gerard Dillman of LREC, chair of the committee working towards making the fitness and wellness centre a reality.
Students at LREC, which includes all grades from kindergarten to Grade 12 and is located in the Leaf Rapids town centre complex, say they look forward to having a workout space and eventually more.
“It will be really helpful for everyone who wants to practice for Frontier Games, who wants to get fit, who wants to run a marathon,” said Devin Wilson.
For Payton Halcrow, who played on the volleyball team at Frontier Collegiate Institute in Cranberry Portage last year before attending school at home in Leaf Rapids this year, says the lack of activities for youth in Leaf Rapids is a problem.
“There is not really much her int town, not much for kids to do,” she said. “There’s a lack of extracurricular activities and I feel like this causes some youth to find other things to fill up their day such as drinking, doing drugs, vandalizing property or breaking and entering. This problem is very real in our town.”
LREC principal Daniel Currie says the fitness centre will foster positive mental wellness, which he thinks could improve student attendance, while benefitting staff as well.
“This amenity could attract new teachers and staff and retain present teachers and staff,” he said.
The goal is to make the centre accessible to the whole community for free
“Our complex is part of a larger mall structure so there is food access to the community once the site is fully functional,” Dillman said.
Ryan Fahey, lead for special projects and campaigns at PHE Canada, which seeks to inspires children and youth to live healthy, physically active lives, said LREC’s application impressed the organization immediately.
“From day one it was almost unanimous across our review team that this initiative had all the ingredients of a promising practice that not only needed to be shared but needed to be funded,” he said.
The committee had hoped the grant application would be successful but weren’t really sure if it would until they were notified.
“You have hope but you’re also realistic,” says Dillman.
In addition to the grant and Frontier School Division’s equipment budget for LREC, the committee will seek more funding from provincial and national charities to support the project as well as doing their own fundraising.
“We’re in it to win it and I’m sure we’ll find multiple sources to make this vision happen,” Dillman said.
