Not Taking Anything for Granted!

When it comes to grant applications, the BICR staff have been running at full speed (okay, full-on sprinting)! We are excited to announce that so far, 2019 has been a great year in the race to get grants so that we can provide quality, varied and desirable programs for our awesome little community.

Our friends at the BC Parks and Recreation Association (BCRPA) have been extremely generous and supportive in BICR’s efforts to provide affordable and accessible after-school programs for Bowen children with 7 grants so far this year, and we aren’t even half-way through! Thanks so much to this provincial organization for supporting smaller communities who want to be the best we can be!

The Federal organization, Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA), has also been very supportive to our summer camps through their green job initiative grants as we continue to improve our summer camps by increasing our outdoor play and support of young people in our community (all good things!).

Community Recreation and Public Works were successful in another Federal grant application, Canada Summer Jobs through Service Canada, for further support of summer students working in our departments. These grants assist the Municipality in providing jobs for Bowen youth who want to work in their community!

Our senior population will be excited to hear that we were also recently notified by BCRPA that we were successful in our bid for the “Give it a Try” grant. We will be sharing more information this Fall on this exciting initiative!

As usual, BICR has applied for the Canada Day grant through Heritage Canada to keep this wonderful Bowen tradition alive and should hear back soon!

Lastly, thanks to the Participaction Community Better Challenge grant, BICR is excited to announce the upcoming, first-ever Bowen Island 4Square Tournament that will be held on Saturday, June 8 in the BICS Gym! Registration details will be available soon and we hope to see community members of all ages come out to observe Bowen’s best 4Square talents and try your hand at this awesome game!

Play on! 

Play is critically important in the development of children’s bodies and brains. We are all aware of the increase in obesity in our society so the physical benefits are obvious, but the psychological and social benefits are important too. The Canadian Public Health Association recently shared that children are experiencing an increase in poor mental health, which has been directly linked to a decline in free play. When kids play, they work on their social and emotional skills, such as decision-making skills, needed to become well-adjusted and engaged adults.

Our friends at Active for Life have compiled a list of 49 fun activities to do with kids aged 2 – 4 years here; https://activeforlife.com/49-fun-physical-activities-to-do-with-kids-aged-2-to-4/. Please take a look and try to incorporate these or some similar activities into your daily lives so we can keep play alive and give our children the best chance possible at success!

Take it Outside

As we head into the end of Spring, the weather is warming up and drying out fast! Many of us may find ourselves spending more time outside, whether it be to read a book or catching some sun. Why not take your workout outdoors as well? Here are some ways to incorporate exercise outside to make the most of the season!

Create a gym anywhere! Benches, walls, curbs and branches can all be incorporated into a full body workout.

Hit the trail: Who needs a treadmill when you can walk, run and change up your incline outside?

Take an outdoor class: BICR offers outdoor fitness classes including spin in the summer season!

There are more than a few benefits to exercising outside including boosting your Vitamin D intake, breathing fresh air and an improvement in mood.

Some important things to remember when working out outdoors include:

Staying sun protected: Wearing sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses are all important to protect yourself.

Drink enough water: Make sure to bring a water bottle with you wherever you’re working out.

Workout early: Avoid the high temperature hours to get the most out of your workout and avoid heat related illnesses.

Browse BICR’s summer programs at www.bowencommunityrecreation.com/registernow and go enjoy the outdoors!