Katimavik

Katimavik Cut

Katimavik Funding has been officially cut from the Federal Budget. Due to this, the final rotation for Katimavik ends on June 2012. The Sackville Rivers Association, which has been associated with Katimavik for more than 10 years, will lose a regular volunteer.

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Katimavik volunteers come to restore the Little Sackville River:

Leanne Cleary, 2012 Katimavik Volunteer, holds a giant Atlantic Salmon at the SRA Office in Sackville:

Leanne volunteered with the SRA from Jan. to Jun. 2012. She will be the last volunteer due to the sudden cancellation of the program.

She hails from Sudbury, Ontario and is returning to school to take up a career in the recreation field.

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June 14 2012 is the last day for all Katimavik Volunteers across Canada. It is unfortunate that this program will not continue in the fall and for the years to come. It is sad to see Leanne leave the Sackville Rivers Association as she will be returning back to her home province in Ontario to attend school. She had a lovely goodbye lunch at the May Garden, and she will miss everyone from the SRA!

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It is sad to hear but as part of the Federal Budget that took place on March 29th 2012, the Katimavik program has been officially cut. The program benefited youth across Canada, and gave them different opportunities to learn from volunteering and group living. Not only did the youth benefited, but the communities that were involved with Katimavik will also suffer a tremendous loss.

Get your voice heard!
Send a letter to your Prime Minister, and local MP about your concerns.

Check out Adim on Katimavik

and sign the Liberal Petition created by Justin Trudeau:

http://petition.liberal.ca/fight-for-katimavik-harper-cuts-youth-funding/

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Katimavik is a volunteer program for people from 17 to 21 years old. Their aim is to foster sustainable communities through challenging national youth service programs. Their objectives are:

  • To contribute to the personal, social and professional development of the participants.
  • To promote community service.
  • To offer a diverse experience fostering a better understanding of the Canadian reality.

To put it simply, Katimavik gives young people a chance to travel across Canada and volunteer with various organizations. For 10 years the SRA has been lucky enough to have volunteers from Katimavik come to work for us, and we hope to have them help us out for years to come. In the past they have assisted us in surveying, trail maintenance, fish tracking, salmon stocking programs, and river restoration and clean-up projects. This program gives them real world experience in this field while teaching them the importance of community involvement. The assistance provided by these volunteers is greatly appreciated and is a huge asset to the SRA.

Here are some interesting facts about Katimavik:

  • Since 1977, Katimavik has enabled nearly 30,000 Canadians to be involved in more than 2,000 communities throughout the country.
  • Approximately 1,000 youth participate in the program each year.
  • There are 107 communities hosting Katimavik groups this year.
  • Katimavik partners with nearly 900 community non-profit organizations each year.

Katimavik is a great program that provides benefits for the participant and the community alike. For more information about the program, including how to become a participant or a work partner, please visit the official website at:

The Katimavik Experience With the SRA

Hello,
My name is Leanne Cleary, and unfortunately I will be the last Katimavik Volunteer here with the Sackville Rivers Association. I am 20 years old, and from Sudbury, Ontario, about 4 hours north of Toronto. The SRA has given me the opportunity to learn how an environmental NGO works from the inside out. The college program that I am currently going into is Fish and Wildlife technician when I return home. This volunteer work placement has reassured my aspiration in life, and that is to work with fish and the environment. My program started in the winter months, so there was not much action going on outside. Instead, I was educated and have gained valuable knowledge about watersheds and conservation. I wish I was here longer then 6 months, as I am hungry for learning and doing more. I couldn’t ask for better supervisors then Damon and Walter, as they kept the dryness out of the office. Especially Walter with his silly jokes. Katimavik may be cut, but the impact that it served in the community will always remain.

and hey you never know, we may be walking the streets again!

Thank you for an awesome experience !
Leanne Cleary

 

Hi, I am one of the last participant for the 2010 program here in Halifax which ends on the 16 of June. My name is Olivier, I’m 21 years old and I came from Saint-Jerome in Quebec. The population of my home town is approximately 67311 people and the language spoken is French. I never had the chance to work directly for or with an environmental association but I’m really excited to learn about the ecosystem of rivers, how to understand the way they work and how to preserve these ecosystems. I subscribed myself in Katimavik to help me to live different experiences, to learn my second language “English” and more about life and people who are a part of this big country, and see the diversity of culture and tradition that Canada is made of. Connor and I went to the same places in Canada: Olds, Alberta; Levis, Quebec; and Halifax, Nova-Scotia. In Alberta I worked at the Olds Agricultural Society. Olds is a rural community so I had the chance to observe the “cowboy” culture in the west, it was really interesting. In Quebec I worked in an elementary school. It was a nice experience and the kids are so authentic, you can’t be insensible. Levis is just across the river from Quebec City, it is really nice view. Quebec City gave a good idea of the French culture in Quebec but was nothing new you for me. Here in Halifax I am working for the Sackville Rivers association I’m sure I will have great time and this city is wicked. With Katimavik I had the chance to do volunteer work for the Olds fashions Christmas in Olds, Le Carnaval de Quebec, Red bull crashed ice and I will do a lot more things here in Halifax for the community, things that I will never forget.

Thank you Katimavik and all our work partners,

Olivier Gaussira

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Hello, my name is Tamie Bergsma will be working with Olivier at the Sackville Rivers Association from April to mid-June 2010. I am 20 years old and I am from Agassiz, British Columbia. It is a small town, with a population of just over 6000, located 115 km south-east of Vancouver. I joined Katimavik for the opportunity to travel throughout Canada and to learn another language, French. Travelling and languages are two strong passions of mine and Katimavik offers the chance to experience both of those while helping and integrating oneself into Canadian communities. Halifax is my last placement in Katimavik. My first placement in Katimavik was Olds, Alberta. In Olds I worked for the Municipality under Community Services. I had the opportunity to work in various job sites; such as the aquatic centre, the arena, town office and the Municipal Library story hour. My second placement was in Lévis, Québec (located across the St. Lawrence River from Québec City). Lévis was a very challenging trimester because of the language barrier; however, people were very understanding and patient. In Lévis I worked at CPE L’arc-en-ciel, a daycare. It was fun working with children. Katimavik has been a wonderful experience. Very challenging at times, but extremely rewarding. Through Katimavik I’ve had the opportunity to live and go places I might not have otherwise had the chance to. I have volunteered at some awesome events, such as; Olds Fashioned Christmas in Olds, Redbull Crashed Ice in Québec City, Carnaval de Québec in Québec City, and ViewFinders Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax. After Katimavik, I intend on returning to school at the University of the Fraser Valley and obtaining a teaching degree in elementary education. While in school I hope to achieve a certificate in TESL (teaching English as a second language) and a minor in French.
Tamie Bergsma

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Hi I’m Connor Burnham, the new Katimavik volunteer for the SRA, I’ll be here untill the end of March!!! I’m from a small town in Ontario called ‘Perth’ about half-way between Ottawa and Kingston. Growing up in the country inspired my respect for the natural world, it was this that first spawned my interest in environmental conservation.  In my own watershed which is part of the larger Rideau lakes system I have volunteered for shoreline restoration projects involving dogwood and other shore-line species that can stop soils from eroding into the river. Other volunteer experiences I have participated in include: tree planting, at home and in Quebec; planting prairie grasses and shrubs; and participating in the environmental competition known as Envirothon, in which we placed seventh province-wide, as the soils expert. I decided to partake in katimavik because the program seemed to mirror many of the values I had developed myself, social engagement, environmental responsibility, respect of diversity and multiculturalism, healthy living, the chance to learn French and travel to three distinctly different areas of Canada. I figured the program would be an amazing way for me to transition away from sheltered life in my hometown, to leaving my family and friends for university life at Guelph. The three communities we are lucky enough to live in are: Levis, Quebec; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Olds, Alberta. I spent the last three months volunteering at an elementary school in Quebec, the experience was something I will never forget, the teachers, the daycare staff and the kids were so welcoming to me. I quickly grew attached to the community there. Here in Halifax I will have the pleasure to work for the Sackville River Association in direct correspondence to my interests in conservation. I am extremely excited to be able to contribute to this organizations goal in any way I can.