THUNDER BAY – Roughly 60 youth between the ages of seven and 20 were brought out to learn skateboarding, mental wellness tips, and some cultural teachings on Saturday.
Nokiiwin Tribal Council and Cinema 5 Skatepark partnered to put together a mental health workshop for youth from Nokiiwin communities.
Nokiiwin education manager, Scott Baker said that while the event was a partnership, a lot of the credit goes to the skate park.
“We have some people in common and they sort of suggested that this is a kind of event we could run and they were really instrumental in having it come together,” he said.
“But really, this is the kind of thing that our communities have been asking for, recreational opportunities for youth and positive chances for them to get together and interact in a positive way.”
Along with learning mental health and skateboarding skills, the youth were also able to build and paint their own skateboards.
Vanessa Bowles, founder and executive director of Cinema 5 Skate Park, said that the youth were very eager to take part and she hopes to be able to hold the event again.
“We are looking forward to doing this partnership again with Nokiiwin. They have been amazing to work with and this has been just so easy for us to set up and the fact that there's this many youth that we're interested in it, I think really shows that need,” she said.
To find out more about upcoming skateboarding events, visit cinema5skatepark.ca. For members of Nokiiwin communities who wish to keep up to date with upcoming events, visit nokiiwin.com
