The official groundbreaking for the new Outdoor Education and Indigenous Centre in Minden was held on Oct. 30.
According to officials with the Trillium Lakelands District School Board, the facility will provide over 17,000 kindergarten to Grade 12 students with immersive, meaningful learning opportunities in a natural setting.
“This new centre will give students the chance to explore the outdoors, learn from Indigenous perspectives and develop skills through hands-on experiences,” said Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott. “I want to thank the school board, Indigenous partners and everyone involved in making this possible. I look forward to seeing the opportunities it will create for students for years to come.”
The program will utilize the 90-plus acres of land with a 3,000-square-foot building designed to support year-round environmental education. Inside, the open-concept building will feature a large instructional area, a mezzanine, offices, storage, kitchen, and washroom facilities. Outdoors, there will be an oversized patio and trails ready for students to hike in the warmer months and snowshoe through the natural landscape during the colder months.
“This initiative is unique and the work is a direct response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action. It’s about trust and collaboration to ensure all TLDSB students have the opportunity to participate in Indigenous ways of knowing and being through land-based learning” said TLDSB CEO Wes Hahn.
The facility is scheduled to open to staff and students in the spring.
