BY NEIL OSTAFICHUK
You may have noticed a new, bright shiny face in the corner aquatic office these past few weeks as we welcome Lisa, our Aquatic Programmer, back from her maternity leave. While we are very happy to have Lisa’s seemingly boundless energy back in the house, we had to say so long to Cassie who spent the last year or so filling some pretty big sandals. Without a doubt, Cassie did great as a fresh out of University candidate; stepping into a supervisory role and gaining the trust, respect and support of those around her as well as maintaining the flow of programs in the Leisure Guides without a hitch. We wish her well on her return to Houston (that’s BC, not Texas) and welcome Lisa back to the fold.
One dream Lisa brings is to increase the population of mermaids in the Kootenays and, subsequently, we are running a couple mermaid camps – one staring Jul 24th and one starting Aug 14th. There were still a couple spots available in the first one so don’t delay plus we provide the fins and tails. While this program is aimed at 9 to 14 year olds, I did hear that there were a number of adult sized fins so if you also have a burning desire to learn to glide beneath the waves like Daryl Hannah or Ariel, maybe let Lisa know and she might be able to set something up. Just remember, in the event you snag one out on the lake; they are like Kokanee - catch and release only.
There are so many other neat things for kids to do around here all summer other than drive you crazy at home. The Summer Dayz Kids Camp runs every day from 8:30 to 4:30 and you can register for a day, a week, a month or any combination in between. It’s a great opportunity for kids to build new friendships and discover hidden talents in a safe environment. Some of the adventures might include swimming, skating, crafts, field trips and individual or team building games plus there may be guest instructors popping in from time to time. We also have our highly popular themed camps as an option like Basketball Camp, Teen Summer FITcamp, Farm to Table, Soccer Camp, Moviemaking, Flag Football Camp and Youth on the Fly Flyfishing Camp which I just noticed was right before Mermaid Camp. That’s just a coincidence, right? I should make a note to check on that…
You can check out these as well as a pile more programs and activities for adults and teens in the Leisure Guide or online at www.rdck.ca . Now that summer’s here, there is no reason not to get out and try something new (or old)!