Photo: Elder Christopher Stock and his daughter Keana opening Take Me Outside’s Ontario Educator Wellness Retreat in a good way Tomorrow, on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, we invite non-Indigenous members of our Take Me Outside community to join in quiet reflection, self-education, and a re-commitment towards justice, as […]
It’s the time of year when we’re bombarded with views of the world – what has been and what will be to come. Top 10 lists loop endlessly with the most amazing goals, game-changing news stories, celebrity meltdowns and must-have albums. ‘Experts’ break out their crystal balls for what is to be in the New […]
A hike yesterday afternoon on Salt Spring Island reminded me of why I was looking forward to being done running a lot of marathons over for the last 9 months. Plush forests, the salt of the ocean filling my nostrils and a panting dog brought a smile to my face. In fact, I’m convinced Koona […]
Colin Harris ended his nine month, cross-Canada odyssey Tuesday by dipping his foot in the ocean at Royal Roads University, but it was just the beginning of the next episode in his quest to bring youth closer to the great outdoors. The 36-year-old had plenty of company in the final metres of his run, which […]
COLWOOD — Colin Harris arrived at Royal Roads University, following a 7,600 kilometre run across Canada. It was part of the “Take Me Outside” initiative designed to get young people active and outdoors. He was met by his proud parents and grade 6 students from Sangster Elementary School. Harris is a RRU student who, since […]
7,600 kilometers. Nine months. Three pairs of runners. One passion. That’s what has been driving Royal Roads University MA in Environmental Education and Communication student Colin Harris across Canada on a run that spans from St. John’s, N.L. to Victoria, B.C. Harris combined a life-long dream to run across the country with his Take Me Outside campaign […]
[blockquote size=”full” align=”left|right” byline=”anonymous”]No matter how long it takes, if you keep moving, one step at a time, you will reach the finish line..[/blockquote] There are so many thoughts, emotions, feelings, ideas and frustrations that I could share today, but let me start with this. Jen, or as most of her friends call her – […]
[blockquote size=”full” align=”left|right” byline=”anonymous”]Run with perseverance the race that is before you.[/blockquote]
Oct. 14, 2011. When Colin Harris learned that children today are likely to face a shorter lifespan than their parents, he knew he had a good reason to run across Canada. Wearing a T-shirt that read, “Tell your teacher to take you outside,” Harris brought that purpose to an assembly at Beattie School of the […]
This morning at Beattie Elementary, I raced with a few students as I’ve done at most schools to give students an idea of how big Canada really is and how far it is to run. It struck me when I let them know how many kilometers I had left to run that I am truly […]
I love hearing about different Thanksgiving traditions. Jen has informed me that we have to wear lumberjack shirts, listen to the Arthur Awards on the Vinyl Café with Stuart Maclean and go for a swim in a lake somewhere. The only one I’m not in for is the latter! Food is of course a big […]
On Wednesday after the run, Jen and I drove down to Invermere for some school presentations on Thursday. Eli Baker, a friend from school had set up these visits and asked me to speak at CBEEN’s (Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network) AGM in the evening. It was a great day with students! First, we went […]
Since running into the mountains, it’s been a busy few days. My deepest thanks to Rob and Chloe Vance for taking me in and helping me to have a good day off! It was just what the doctor ordered. And thanks to John and Erin Krohe… they took Jen in for the day off. I […]
Running nearly a marathon a day. Every day. From St. John’s Newfoundland to Vancouver, BC. Just typing those words leaves me… amazed? in awe? inspired? … exhausted? Yes, even thought of running each day, let alone running a marathon each day, exhausts me, yet that’s what Colin Harris of Take Me Outside (TMO) has been […]
Yesterday was a side trip up to Red Deer to visit some schools set up by my friend Todd Nivens. It was a busy day… 2 schools in the morning, a radio interview, a trip to the nature centre that Todd works at, and another school in the afternoon. As usual, I drove back to […]
Although the prairies had a brief heatwave last week, fall is definitely in the air here in Calgary. As I was driving back from a school visit this afternoon, I could see the yellows and oranges of autumn making their mark. This afternoon I was at Sherwood School in Calgary visiting some grade 5/6 students. […]
Just a quick update… I am a bit behind on my schedule coming into Calgary. My mind and body are quite fatigued these days, and so today has ended up being a day off which I had hoped would be a running day. After 8 months of running and living in an RV, I am […]
Throughout Canada yesterday, people ran and cycled. They ran and cycled in support of Terry Fox and the continued effort to raise money for cancer research. A new sculpture by Douglas Coupland was unveiled this past weekend near Stanley Park in BC to commemorate Terry Fox’s journey. It is the park where Terry hoped to […]
Did you know that Justin Bieber’s Baby video is the most watched video EVER in the world?! It has over 620 million views on youtube and has been officially recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records. Roger Ebert, the infamous movie critic has half a million followers on Twitter. Companies are spending as much […]
[blockquote size=”full” align=”left|right” ]There is nothing to look at, but everything to look at.[/blockquote] The words above are my friend Audrey’s way of describing the prairies. And over the past couple of weeks, I think I quite agree. My favourite moments have been lying in the tall grasses eating my lunch, looking up into the […]
It’s been fun going back into some schools and feeling the energy of a new school year. The students at St. Michael School were full of questions and we had a great time together! One of my favourite moments was running a lap with Matthew after the other students had gone back to class. Matthew’s […]
Enjoying the first school visit back after the summer holiday. The students at Grant Road School in Regina were great – it was a beautiful day and we were able to meet outside. Thanks to Mark Wilson for helping set this visit up! Felt good to be chatting with students again! Having some members of […]
The Westman Journal just recently did a write-up about the TakeMeOutside project. Go and read the full article here. Let me know your thoughts in my comments section!
Even on the road (aside from the running part), the conversations I’m hearing revolve around the summer being over – it’s back to school! Across this country, students have either started their first week of school or are close to it. Parents are readjusting to the routine required to get their kids to school and […]
Did you ever have braces or wear a retainer when you were younger? A lot of my youth was spent in the sterile environment of the orthodontist’s office. I went through several retainers, one of them called a Frankel, which I was never seen in public with, as it puffed out my cheeks and prevented […]
My CBC Television interview was just televised. Here’s a link to the video page. You’ll want to jump to the 20:50 mark of the video in order to see my bit! Drop me a line in the comments section letting me know what you thought.
I have just returned from my parents treating me to a nice meal before saying goodbye and driving back to Winnipeg. They were kind enough over the past few days to help me out as I ran west of Winnipeg, but as of tomorrow I am on my own again for awhile. I can’t express […]
“Dad, what would you think about joining me at Thunder Bay?” When your son gives an invitation like that, it’s difficult to refuse. So on August 1 I boarded a bus from Winnipeg to Thunder Bay, and 12 hours later Colin and I enjoyed a pizza together. Thus began a journey that has been unlike […]
I recently had an interview with Breakfast Television in Winnipeg. I’m not able to embed it in our own website, so you’ll need to follow the link in order to check it out! Let me know what you thought in the comments section!
The morning started at the Legislative building in downtown Winnipeg, where CBC came out to cover the story. We left the RV at home, but my mother decided to help be the “driver” today using their car for little breaks along the way – thanks Mom! It was fun running down Portage Avenue, reliving some […]