It’s almost the holiday season, and here’s an opportunity for you to share the joys of winter with newcomers to Canada. Make a donation by December 31, 2022 and sponsor a low-income newcomer to learn to love the winter! This year, our goal is to double the number of activities we offer and reach out to twice as many participants. Your generosity will help new Montrealers to connect with their new country by introducing them to various activities such as cross-country skiing, skating, and snowshoeing.
For many newcomers, long winters can be very isolating. Participating in winter sports in a group allows them to create a social network, get accustomed to our climate, improve their language skills and discover our natural areas and cultural traditions.
Thanks to you, we’ve introduced more than 5,000 newcomers and other Montrealers to outdoor recreation since we began in 2010. To view our report from last winter, please click here.
Donate now to help a newcomer settle in and adapt through our affordable and friendly winter activities!
Here are examples of how your donation will help:
$50 will allow a newcomer to take an introduction cross-country ski lesson in a small group with a certified instructor, gear provided.
$100 will allow a newcomer to register for one weekly snowshoe outing throughout the winter.
$250 will allow a newcomer to register for one skating and one snowshoeing outing every week throughout the winter as well as for 2 introduction to cross-country skiing courses.
$500 will allow a newcomer to register for all of our skating outings, 2 snowshoe outings per week, as well as 5 cross-country ski lessons with a certified instructor.
Maria is a great example. She is originally from Mexico and arrived here alone last fall. At 29 years old, she had never seen snow, experienced cold weather, nor been separated from her family. She arrived without a place to stay nor friends to help her, and didn’t yet speak French. Our winter activities allowed her to get to know her new country and to rebuild a social network with people from near and far. During an outing, she even met someone who gave her a tip that led to a job interview in her field! Maria’s story is not unique. Many newcomers face these same challenges.
Yes, I want to make a difference!
Here’s how you can support us:
Donate
Register for one of our activities;
Tell your friends about our activities and share them on Facebook;
Become a volunteer!
How to donate: please go to the donations page of the Maison de l’Amitié, one of the organizations that co-presents the Plein air interculturel program. In the list of funds/projects, please select Intercultural Outdoor Recreation. Let us know you’ve donated so that we can make sure your charity receipt is sent to you. Your receipt will be issued by the Maison de l’Amitié de Montréal.
Thank you so much for supporting the Intercultural Outdoor Recreation Program, a joint initiative of the Milton Park Recreation Association and the Maison de l’amitié de Montréal (a registered charity).
Wishing you and your loved ones our warmest wishes for the holiday season!
