Advertisement

Friendship Trail Receives David Suzuki Foundation Grant

Share:

Friendship Trail Winter Crop1
The Friendship Trial in St. Adolphe has received a significant grant from the David Suzuki Foundation. St. Adolphe Friendship Trail Volunteer Group

In the fall of 2019, a group of St. Adolphe residents realised that there was some great potential to create a beautiful trail along the Red River in their town. The Friendship Trail, as they named it, has since become a welcoming spot of tranquillity for all who visit.

Throughout 2022, the trail became even more memorable.

The St. Adolphe Friendship Trail Volunteer Group (FTVG), which maintains the site all year round, consists of five local senior citizens: Henriette and Richard Collette, Diane Delorme, Bill Gibson, and Gerry Lagasse.

In 2022, the group sought help from Shane Ray and Liam Harder, recreational directors for the RM of Ritchot. With their aid, the group was able to secure a $2,000 grant from The David Suzuki Foundation (DSF) Healing Forest Initiative.

The Healing Forest Initiative was founded by Saulteaux Cree lawyer Patricia Stirbys and geologist and international development consultant Peter Croal in the wake of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report. The pair didn’t have a specific plan for the forests, but they asked only that they be, according to their website, “a quiet green space dedicated to the spirit of reconciliation.”

The Friendship Trail is now one of 16 Healing Forests being sponsored by the DSF.

On September 30, the Friendship Trail played host to a Truth and Reconciliation Day gathering in honour of residential school survivors. Approximately 400 people visited the trail that day.

“We had a Red River cart on display built by Armand and Kelly Jerome,” says Gerry Lagasse. “We also had two wood carvers, Marc and Richard Collette, [and] two elders from the Manitoba Métis explaining the history of the Métis fur traders that travelled from the Hudson Bay to St. Paul, Minnesota along the Red River with their valuable fur pelts.”

In early December, the St. Adolphe Manitoba Metis Local, whose chairperson is Paul Lagasse, sponsored the purchase of three Christmas trees from the Lacoste Garden Centre.

The day after Christmas, the Friendship Trail group heard from Lacoste Garden Centre again, letting them know that the store had more than 35 Christmas trees left over from the holiday season—and they wanted to donate them to the trail.

The FTVG then received help from local resident Brock Gibson and his son Mack, who used their large snowmobile trailer to pick up the donated trees.

“One of the main reasons we wanted three Christmas trees at the beginning of December is that the volunteer group wanted to involve the St. Adolphe Daycare children to participate with a Christmas project. We brought about 100 wooden pucks for them to decorate and then brought them to hang on the three Christmas trees.”

The volunteer group now invites everyone to visit the trail and take a peaceful walk in the beautiful, healing woods.

“The trail offers physical, mental, and spiritual healing for all of us to enjoy,” adds Lagasse.

Advertisement
More SPORTS & RECREATION

Prov Men's Volleyball Team Goes to Nationals

With the last game of the men’s volleyball season in the books, Providence University College has lowered the curtain on their 2022-2023 season. The men’s volleyball team had only been...

Read more

With the last game of the men’s volleyball season in the books, Providence University College has lowered the curtain on their 2022-2023 season. The men’s volleyball team had only been...

Read more

Nighthawks Lose to Flyers, End Regular Season

It was a game that didn’t mean anything to either team, but it still needed to be played. In the final match of the regular season on Sunday afternoon, the Niverville Nighthawks lost 6–4 to the...

Read more

It was a game that didn’t mean anything to either team, but it still needed to be played. In the final match of the regular season on Sunday afternoon, the Niverville Nighthawks lost 6–4 to the...

Read more
Advertisement

Nighthawks Prevail 5–1 Over Blues

The Niverville Nighthawks continue to trend in the right direction as they head into their first playoff run, defeating the Winnipeg Blues by a 5–1 score on Friday night at the CRRC. The win...

Read more

The Niverville Nighthawks continue to trend in the right direction as they head into their first playoff run, defeating the Winnipeg Blues by a 5–1 score on Friday night at the CRRC. The win...

Read more

Nighthawks Clinch Playoff Berth in Massive Win Over Portage

The Niverville Nighthawks earned possibly their biggest win of the season on Wednesday evening on the road as they dispatched the league-leading Portage Terriers 3–2 in a shootout. With the...

Read more

The Niverville Nighthawks earned possibly their biggest win of the season on Wednesday evening on the road as they dispatched the league-leading Portage Terriers 3–2 in a shootout. With the...

Read more
Advertisement

U13 Hockey Provincials Showcases St. Adolphe

This past weekend, the St. Adolphe Minor Hockey Association played host to ten co-ed teams as they battled it out to win the 2023 Hockey Manitoba U13 A1 provincial hockey championships. It was the...

Read more

This past weekend, the St. Adolphe Minor Hockey Association played host to ten co-ed teams as they battled it out to win the 2023 Hockey Manitoba U13 A1 provincial hockey championships. It was the...

Read more

Ste. Agathe Hosts U11A Hockey Provincials

Ste. Agathe hosted this year’s U11A1 hockey provincials from March 3–5. Nine teams from across Manitoba participated in the competition, including the Niverville Clippers, a team made up of kids...

Read more

Ste. Agathe hosted this year’s U11A1 hockey provincials from March 3–5. Nine teams from across Manitoba participated in the competition, including the Niverville Clippers, a team made up of kids...

Read more
Advertisement

For the Nighthawks, A Tough Night in Swan Valley

It was another rough night for the Niverville Nighthawks on the road as they fell to the Swan Valley Stampeders by a dominant 6–1 score. With the loss, the Nighthawks slid to 24-27-4, which...

Read more

It was another rough night for the Niverville Nighthawks on the road as they fell to the Swan Valley Stampeders by a dominant 6–1 score. With the loss, the Nighthawks slid to 24-27-4, which...

Read more

Nighthawks Loss Tightens Playoff Race

The Niverville Nighthawks lost 5–1 on the road Friday evening on a tough and unfruitful seven-hour road trip to Opaskwayak Cree Nation (The Pas). The Nighthawks fell behind early and could not...

Read more

The Niverville Nighthawks lost 5–1 on the road Friday evening on a tough and unfruitful seven-hour road trip to Opaskwayak Cree Nation (The Pas). The Nighthawks fell behind early and could not...

Read more
Time until next issue
Citizen Poll

Do you think it's finally time for the province to prioritize twinning Highway 59 south of Île-des-Chênes?

For related article, see https://nivervillecitizen.com/...