Five Progressive Initiatives and $12,000 Work to Change Climbing
Climbing Escalade Canada announced the 2021 Community Grant recipients. The grant promotes diversity, equity and inclusion
Climbing Escalade Canada (CEC) and its partners have come together to create the 2021 CEC Community Grant. The Government of Canada and Arc’Teryx have made $12,000 available to five initiatives through the program. Each initiative aims to empower Gender Equity initiatives, Black and Indigenous climbers, and People of Colour in climbing.
2021 CEC Community Grant Recipients
While the $6000 from Sport Canada was directed toward the Gender Equity Program, the $6000 from Arc’Teryx was donated to support Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour inclusion programs.
Selection was based on an application process that addressed one of the following objectives:
- Amplifying Social Influences Motivator
- Creation of Supportive Communities
- Removing Barriers to Participation, namely:
- Financial Constraints
- Health-Related Issues
- Access to Training and Skill Development Programs
- Fear of Discrimination and Exclusion
- Perceived Lack of Skills or Abilities
For selection, the projects needed to reach completion, or have measurable success by March 31, 2022. The recipients will be required to provide a detailed report of the outcomes and impacts of their project.
This year, five initiatives split the $12,000. These organizations did well to stretch their money, taking on personal costs for the betterment of their programs.
Without the support of organizations such as Arc’Teryx and Sport Canada, projects like this would not be possible. These impactful initiatives make differences and provide opportunities for access to the sport. Although many businesses had difficult years over the pandemic, supporting programs such as these should become priority.
As any climber can attest, progression doesn’t occur at random. Instead, it is the result of intentional work.
Gender Equity Grant
Bolder Ladies Night
Alberta’s Bolder Climbing held their last Ladies Night of the year on December 10. The multi-night program centred itself around welcoming all persons who identify as female of all ability levels for nights filled with coaching and community building.
Although this was the last Ladies night of 2021, there will be one Ladies Night per month for the next three months. The CEC Community Grant will eliminate financial barriers for participants and to promote information on female body anatomy in climbing, a recovery yoga class, community building with mingling and food after the event.
Climbing Your Way: An Exploration of Movement
The Hub Climbing in Markham, Ontario will run three workshops over the span of six weeks. The target groups are cis and trans women as well as non-binary people who are comfortable in a space that centres the experiences of women.
The multi-faceted event directs itself toward three main informational goals:
- Behind the Scenes in Setting
- Recognize your Strengths: Climbing for Your Body Type
- Recognize your Weaknesses: Taking Your Climbing to the Next Level
Pour l’amour de l’escalade (For the love of Climbing)
Quebec’s D-Vert will host a series of three workshops that focus on discovery, practice and performance of rock climbing among women. The free courses feature a specialized kinesiologist who will tailor each event to the workshop’s clientele.
Each event will take place on separate Saturday mornings. D-Vert is a newer climbing facility and hopes that these events will help form their community around equity and inclusion to create a healthy and exciting climbing environment for women.
Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour Representation Grant
Indigenous Youth Introduction to Climbing
Bolder Climbing will host another Diversity and Equity inclusion program over the course of these next months. The Calgary organization will work with Cassie Ayoungman to support her initiatives in increasing access and representation for indigenous youth in climbing.
Earlier this Autumn, Ayoungman spoke a bit about her initiatives following her Cultural Climbing Program and spoke about incorporating indigenous youth into the indoor climbing scene. This event marks the expression of that interest and will work to dismantle the transportation barrier, lack of resources, and social constraints that prevent many from engaging with climbing.
In November and December of 2021, Bolder welcomed Ayoungman and a group of Indigenous Youth into a five-week introductory program. The CEC Community Grant will allow for the extension of this program and will include coaching for each session.
Colour the Trails
Colour the Trails advocates for inclusive representation in outdoor spaces. They will partner with the Hive in BC to host a series of intro to bouldering clinics. Colour the Trails will hire a Black, Indigenous climber or climber of Colour to teach the clinic and support participants with punch cards and through connections to experienced climbers. In this way, they will break the barriers to access through the creation of opportunities.
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