With disruptions to our typical programs due to COVID-19, the Power To Be team has been working to maintain connections with our participants and ensure that our community feels supported during this challenging time. One of the ways we are continuing to engage with our participants is by holding virtual programs. These programs consist of story sharing of favorite trip memories, what we’re doing now to stay connected to nature, nature-based activities and challenges, and just generally a free-flowing dialogue of check-ins on how we’re doing.

Power To Be is introducing The Gratitude Matters Challenge. For 10 days, we invite you to share with us what you are grateful for each day, post it on social media with the hashtags #SpreadGratitude #ItMatters, and nominate a new person each day to do the same.

Connecting Helijet with Starfish Medical to get critical medical equipment to Vancouver Island. A reminder of how deeply community matters, and how something so small can actually be so big, even lifesaving.

Happy Taco Tuesday! Due to the increased time at home, I, and I’m sure I’m not alone, am spending lots and lots of time in the kitchen. Cooking healthy, tasty meals is an amazing way to show your love to your friends, family and to show some self-love. It is with this thinking that leads to this taco recipe – it’s a little spicy, a little sweet, and a lot of delicious.

During challenging times, memories of the experiences and the people we meet along the way help to anchor us to what matters. Our goal at Power To Be is to continue to provide connection, comfort, and support to our community.

Gardening helps me feel grounded, connected and rejuvenated. Especially during times of stress or anxiety, there is something about getting your hands dirty and creating a fresh environment that engages all of the senses and sparks feelings of fulfillment, pride, and steadiness.

Why does nature matter? The answer to this question is sometimes easily lost in the noise and distractions of our normal day-to-day. And now, when our “normal” is being redefined and closed in around us, it’s even easier to lose sight of the importance of a connection with the natural world around us. However, I believe that now, more than ever, we can benefit from the therapy and healing that being connected to nature may bring.

Power To Be is proud to release our first quarterly update of 2020. Find out what's been happening over the past 3 months, and what's new with our organization. See the impact of our programs, read stories from staff, participants, and volunteers, and explore what's coming up.

Community plays an important role in staying engaged and connected right now. Although spending time physically together may be limited, remember to reach out to those in your community however you can.  Power To Be supports those facing a barrier by fostering an inclusive, engaged community that is grounded in shared experience and shared values of connection, nature, and belonging. 

Thank you Phillips Brewing and Malting Co. for your ongoing support. When asked why they support Power To Be, Matt Phillips says, “Power to Be is a great resource in our community for those who need support in accessing nature. Phillips Brewing Co admires this effort and is proud to support the fantastic programs.” 

Over the last 20 years, Helijet has generously supported Power To Be by donating auction prizes, sharing awareness through social accounts and in-terminal, providing flights for staff and participants, sponsoring and competing in Power To Be’s signature fundraising events and spreading awareness through their branded Power To Be courtesy shuttles and aircrafts. Helijet started their first collaboration with Power To Be almost 20 years ago – by lending an old canoe for an expedition that Power To Be’s founder, Tim Cormode, was facilitating.

After months of anticipation, the team at Power To Be is stoked to unveil our new yurt. Participants were invited to check out the finished project at our Holiday Have-A-Go December 8, 2019. The new structure, tucked in among the trees of our campsite and trails, was built as part of a larger plan to open more accessible programming spaces at our Prospect Lake site.

"This past summer I was lucky enough to participate in a Students On Ice expedition. I spent two weeks on a ship in western Greenland and the eastern Canadian Arctic learning about climate change, Sustainable Development Goals, ocean literacy, blue economy, healthy communities, and so much more."

Power To Be has been supported by Peninsula Co-op since 2007. Over the years, that support has amounted to over $155,000 donated to support our inclusive programs. Beyond financial contributions, the individual Peninsula Co-op locations throughout southern Vancouver Island provide genuine care whenever our vans pull into their stations.

The 7th Canadian Adventure Therapy Symposium (CATS) brought nature-based practitioners from across Canada to Whitehorse for three days of networking, learning, and celebration. Power To Be has been a proud member CATS family since the collective's inception 10 years ago. The vision of CATS is to connect leaders who promote and support the therapeutic benefits of adventure and nature-based programming.

About forty-five minutes outside downtown Victoria is an explorer’s paradise: East Sooke Park. The park is over 14 square kilometers and features beaches, 50 kilometers of trails, viewpoints, and lots of great places for a picnic.

A visionary, an entrepreneur, a philanthropist. Ted Rogers was one of kind. From his unstoppable ambition to his unique ability to connect with people, Ted Rogers pathed the way for so many in his journey to success. To honour the late Ted Rogers, the Ted Rogers Scholarship was generously created by the Rogers’ family and launched in 2017 to carry on Ted’s values and legacy. Ted Rogers and his legacy continues to inspire our work at Power To Be every day. The differences made in the lives of so many because of Ted Roger’s work is truly inspiring and we at Power To Be will continue to honour his legacy in everything that we do.

Want to hike, climb, paddle, and bike in style? Power To Be has just released some awesome, special edition socks as a part of our annual campaign. Only 500 pairs will be distributed so don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to do good and look good!

Kayaking has been part of Power To Be’s program offering for over 20 years, and during that time we have explored the waters around Victoria and Vancouver. Thanks to recent support from the BC Rehab Foundation and the Quiet Cove Foundation, we are ready to continue our exploration with new and updated equipment.