Celebrating 40 years

Some residents say the opportunity to teach children about the outdoors is the main reason Kingfisher Lake Outdoor Education Centre has lasted for four decades.

The outdoor education centre held an open house to celebrate its 40th anniversary on Saturday. Hundreds of residents came to the centre to snowshoe, ski, roast hotdogs and enjoy the outdoors.

Emily Delaney, 12, came with her dad, Rod, to snowshoe and go on the ski trails. Emily, who goes to Woodcrest Public School, came with her Grade 6 class last year and said it was a great way to lear new skills. She learned how to cook over a fire, chop wood and ski. That experience helped her to appreciate the outdoors more.

Delaney, who volunteered with Emily’s Grade 6 class when they came to Kingfisher, agreed that the centre offered a great opportunity for students to get out of the classroom.

"I think it is fantastic education in conjunction with everything else they learn in school," Delaney said. "I think it is a great resource for kids."

Jo-anne Bida came with her husband, Brian, and children Andrea and Cayden Luidlaw and her grandson Cam, 2. She heard about the event in the local newspaper and decided to make it a family outing. She said that the programs offered through the Lakehead Public Schools was the main reason why the outdoor centre has lasted so long.

"It is such a great learning experience for city kids to come out here and to learn about it," Bida said.

Beth Kuiper, Lead Educator at Kingfisher Lake Outdoor Education Centre, said it was a great turn out for the event and had buses from Hammarskjold High School and Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute shuttling people from the city.

Without the support from Lakehead Public Schools and its teachers, Kingfisher wouldn’t have been able to reach its 40th anniversary, she said.

"It provides an opportunity for youth in our schools to come out here and experience the natural environment," Kuiper said. "A lot of people don’t go to summer camp and don’t have camps to go to on the weekend. This gives them an opportunity to do that."

She added with continued community support, Kingfisher will reach its 50th anniversary with no problems.