Dear participants, friends, volunteers, contacts and colleagues,
Thanks to your support, Plein air interculturel has introduced winter sports to at least 2000 people from near and far since 2010! Donate by December 31, 2025 to sponsor a low-income newcomer and offer them a joyous, active, healthy winter.
Your generosity has a direct impact on the health and well-being of new Montrealers. Taking part in activities such as cross-country skiing or snowshoeing reduces isolation, lowers stress, improves physical fitness, and fosters a sense of belonging.
For many newcomers unfamiliar with our long winters, this period can be very isolating. Discovering winter sports as a group helps them to get used to the climate, connect with nature, discover the local culture – and feel more confident, more welcomed, and happier!
Thanks to you, we’ve introduced more than 7,500 newcomers and other Montrealers to outdoor recreation since we began in 2010. In 2026, we aim to reach at least 1000 participations! To view our report from last winter, please click here.
By giving today, you are offering much more than just a ski class. You are investing in the health, resilience, and integration of someone building their life here. Thank you for making a real difference.
Here are examples of how your donation will help:
- $50 will allow a newcomer to discover winter while taking an introductory cross-country ski lesson in a small group with a certified instructor, gear provided.
- $100 will allow a newcomer to build a healthy lifestyle while taking a cross-country ski lesson and rent skis for the entire winter.
- $250 will completely transform a newcomer’s relationship to winter by taking a series of 4 cross-country ski classes, as well as renting skis and snowshoes for the entire season.
- Consider setting up a monthly donation of $15 to sponsor newcomers all year long! (any amount is most welcome!)
Our participants share the impact of your generosity:
“It was my first time trying winter sports, Thanks to Plein air interculturel, I discovered an activity that gave me back my energy, health, and hope. Thank you — your generosity changes lives.”
“Thanks to your donation, I learned cross-country skiing. I’m not afraid of winter anymore. I’m in better shape, I’ve made friends, and for the first time, I’m truly enjoying Montreal.”
“Snowshoeing helped me meet new people and find my smile again during my first winter here. Your support turned a difficult season into a source of well-being and confidence.”
Here’s how you can support us:
- Donate
- Register for one of our activities;
- Tell your friends about our activities and share them on social media;
- Become a volunteer!
How to donate: please visit the donations page of the Maison de l’Amitié, one of the two 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 ensure 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,
Adrienne Blattel, founder, on behalf of the Intercultural Outdoor Recreation Program team!
*La Maison de l’Amitié provides administrative oversight to ensure that the donations support activities that align with its mission. And if the needs of a given activity are already covered, your donation simply helps fund other winter or outdoor activities — always with the same goal: making nature accessible to newcomers.