Arrowsmith Community Recreation Summer Highlights
July - September 2018
Arrowsmith Community Recreation Summer Highlights
July - September 2018
Growing Wild Summer Camp
ACRA was very pleased to present the second annual Growing Wild Camp, July 9th-13th on the Coombs Fairgrounds. Schoolteacher Caity Generaux and ACRA Recreation Coordinator Kristine Stephenson welcomed 26 youth, ages 9-13, to this unique summer camp. The children enjoyed learning to orienteer, care for a horse, put up a tent and fish. A highlight of the week was a tour of the BoMé Cheese Factory, where they were also treated to a delicious lunch of salad and macaroni and cheese. Special guests at camp each day included RCMP Community Police Officer, Danielle Swanson and Auxiliary Staff Officer, Mike Dally, as well as Japanese origami expert, Shino Yoneda and international student volunteer, Mei Hirokawa. The children had some trepidation about being put in handcuffs and seeing the inside of a police car, but hopefully this was a one-time experience for them! Special thanks go out to all of the community businesses and volunteers who kindly supported the camp. A yummy ice cream cone at the Coombs Market was a wonderful way to end a week of rural camp fun.
Building Learning Together Storybook Village
Recreation Coordinators, Kim and Kristine enjoyed a delightful morning hosting one of the buildings at BLT’s Summer Storybook Village at the Qualicum Commons. They had the opportunity to meet many local and vacationing families, with their exuberant preschool children. The children enjoyed making coffee filter butterflies, having the most fun dabbing the bingo dabbers as many times as they could on a piece of paper! They were all excited to take home their butterflies to hang in a window.

Coombs Fair
Youth World Music Camps
Adult World Music Workshops
Errington Hi Neighbour Day
ACRA AGM
ACRA-RDN 2019 Budget Operating Proposal
Sole Sisters Walking Program

Active Aging Week
Breathtakingly beautiful Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park was the destination for the Sole Sisters Active Aging walk on September 26th. The hike welcomed 31 participants, and many photographs were snapped along the way. Thank you to RDN Recreation Programmer, Jenn Hopewell, for her hours of organizing, hosting meetings and promoting all of the wonderful programs.
Introductory and Beyond Beginners African Hand Drumming

Food Skills for Active Seniors
ACRA is hosting the six-week Food Skills for Active Seniors program from September 27th to November 8th in the Arrowsmith Hall kitchen at the Coombs Fairgrounds. This free program is funded by the Ministry of Health, managed by Diabetes Canada, supported by the RDN and Save-On Foods, and facilitated by Certified Holistic Nutritionist, Miranda Cockayne. Many seniors live on a limited income and must learn to cook for one, so the seniors who are attending appreciate learning new recipes, safe food handling and storage, meal planning, healthy snack preparation and much more.
Parksville Qualicum Beach News Arrowsmith Insert
Ongoing
Community Meetings
ACRA Recreation Coordinators attended community meetings in July, August and September to help organize and plan the Growing Wild Summer Camp, Coombs Candy Walk, the Food Skills for Families program, and all of the fall programs.
Promotion and Registration
The Recreation Coordinators are responsible for the ACRA website and Facebook, promotion and registration for programs. They receive and reply to phone calls and emails regularly and continue to manage all of the registration for programs independently.
Grants
ACRA supported the Arrowsmith Agricultural Association by writing and submitting an RDN Community Recreation Grant, on their behalf, for the 2019 Coombs BC Family Day event.
Community Cupboard
ACRA continues to lend equipment and instruments to non-profit groups in Arrowsmith. During the summer months, instruments were provided to the Errington Hall for the Youth and Adult World Music Camps, and signage and safety equipment to the Coombs Fair and Silver Spurs riding group for fundraising activities.