The idea is to empower women by heading out in nature together.
A new set of Howe Sound Women’s Centre Society sessions titled, Women’s Wisdom an Outdoor Healing Journey, will include trail hikes, river walks, top rope climbing, a talking circle and art.
“We’re basically just going to be in the outdoors and we are going to gauge what we do in terms of hikes on the women that join us. It is very flexible in terms of where the women are at and what works for them,” said Heidi Nielsen, one of the facilitators of the program.
The free program, which is accepting 10 local women, will have sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays in September.
The sessions are geared at “anyone that needs to join a group,” Nielsen said.
“To get together, be in a group setting, meet other women, have an opportunity to share and to bring healing to each of the women that come.”
The sessions are offered in memory of Aidan Oloman and paid for by the Aidan Oloman Fund.
“She was very much an outdoors person and loved outdoor activities,” Nielsen said.
“The idea behind this money being gifted to us was for us to organize a program that would be offered to women that would be accessible, so that there would be no cost encouraging being outside, being in nature.”
Oloman was killed in 2006 in an avalanche in the mountains near Fernie, according to a tribute page set up in her honour.
“Ever since she was a wee tyke running through the meadows in her twirly skirt with her teddy hanging out of her backpack Aidan has loved the mountains,” reads the web page, which also explains the fund in her name was set up to help provide empowering opportunities for women in the outdoors. Prior to her death Oloman had been designing climbing courses for women, the fund’s site states.
Applications for the Squamish fall sessions, which run from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays starting Sept. 6, are available at the Howe Sound Women’s Centre on Third Avenue or by calling 604-892-5748.
