All four school boards bring their students to the outdoor classroom and running and skiing trails of the Laurentian University greenspace. For students of all areas across Greater Sudbury, the LU greenspace is important to their learning, physical activity, and a love of the outdoors that lasts a lifetime.
For many, it is their first experience of being immersed in nature.
In a letter of support for the LU greenspace, sent to Greater Sudbury City Council last July in response to Laurentian University’s CCAA process and the potential risk to the LU greenspace, Doreen Dewar, chair of the Rainbow District School Board, wrote, “The picturesque trails surrounding Laurentian University provide the perfect venue for athletes of all ages in all seasons. The outdoor landscape has benefitted students from Sudbury, Espanola, Manitoulin Island and beyond for training and competition in a variety of sports, from track to cross-country running and skiing.
“The large forested area in the heart of the city showcases the city’s award-winning re-greening efforts, which must be protected for generations to come. The Lake Laurentian Conservation Area also serves as an expansive outdoor classroom for students, from Kindergarten to Grade 12 to explore natural habitats.”
Colin Ward teaches at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, and has been taking students to the greenspace for almost 20 years as a teacher and coach. Outdoor education students master orienteering and map-compass skills. Student athletes of all levels train and compete on the trails in cross country running and skiing. Countless athletes across a spectrum of abilities, including Olympians, have been built on the LU greenspace trails.
From the outset, Ward has been involved in teaching the Grade 11 Outdoor Education Course and coaching the school cross-country running and track and field teams. For the past six years, he has also coached the Nordic-ski team. Colin estimates that across these programs and teams, about 250-300 individual Lo-Ellen students each year utilize the trails across the seasons, three to five times a week. Many of the students cross over between sports and also continue with training on the trails throughout the summer.
The trails have been the site of the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association (OFSAA) Cross-Country Running and Nordic Skiing Championships in 2013 and 2015, and the OFSAA Track and Field Championships (trails used for warm-up) in 2010, bringing student athletes from around Ontario. Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School has one of the top Nordic ski programs in Ontario, and Ward credits the LU ski trails, not only in their proximity to the school, but also for their technical lay-out and challenge, to building excellence in the program.
What is gratifying to Ward is that he is often coaching or teaching the students over their full four years of high school. Ward reflects on countless athletes across a spectrum of abilities, including Olympians, that have been built on the LU greenspace trails.
He has some concerns about the current cohort of students that have not had structured physical activity during the pandemic and the growing “screen addiction”. He feels now more than ever, for present and future student cohorts across the City of Greater Sudbury, the LU greenspace is important to build resilience by incorporating physical activity and a love of the outdoors into their lifelong activities.
Naomi Grant and Mandy Hey live in Greater Sudbury. The fourth part of the story will be told next week. You can read Part One here and you can read Part Two here.
