215 results for author: Colin Harris

Open Letter to Elementary School Students

Dear Elementary School Students, We all make mistakes and sometimes, we don't even realize we're making a mistake until someone talks to us about it. I know you don't know me, but I'm wondering if I can ask for your help. We grown-ups are making a mistake these days but I'm pretty sure you can help us fix it. Recently, 2,000 adults across Canada who don't know each other were asked some questions about spending time outside (). All of their answers were collected from this survey and it showed something kind of strange - that 74% of these adults prefer to spend time inside instead of going outside. Sounds weird, eh? (Your teacher can try to help ...

To the Top

We're excited to share our short film "To the Top," which highlights one of Canada's favourite winter activities - tobogganing! If you're looking for motivation to pull out the old wooden sled or the GT snow racer to take your son, your daughter, your niece or nephew, your friend's kids or maybe just yourself out for some good ol' fashioned winter fun, this film is for you. Shot in the Canadian Rockies with students from Banff Elementary School, we hope you can share this film to help inspire kids right across Canada to head outside and find oodles of fun in the snow! There are two versions of this short film - one that has lyrics that are a bit ...

Be a role model, not a scroll model

“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” ― James Baldwin, American author Recently, an old friend posted something on Facebook that triggered a flurry of comments and criticism. The photo showed four dads sitting off to the side of the room as their respective kids participated in an evening activity at the YMCA. Their faces were whited out, and this friend asked in his post, “Yikes, is this what parenting looks like now?” All four dads had their heads down in their phones. A swift wave of criticism ensued – “Passing judgment on people when we have no idea what ...

2017 TMO Contest Winners

2017 Winners Grade 1-6 Category: Grand Prize Winner and 1st Place Winner David Peatfield from Whistler, BC 2nd Place Winner Claire Brillant from Saint John, NB 3rd Place Winner Isabella, Abby and Ava Quinn from Fredericton, NB Grade 7-12 Category: 1st Place Winner Max Yang from Richmond, BC 2nd Place Winner Jaiden Gibbons from Baldonnel, BC 3rd Place Winner Lara Mylde from Calgary, AB

2016 Winners of the Take Me Outside Student Video Contest

The 2016 Take Me Outside Student Video Contest is excited to announce the winners! First off, we just want to thank a few folks. Mountain Equipment Co-op is the main sponsor of this contest and we’re really grateful for their support. They have donated some great prizes for the winners, helping students across this country get outside. We also want to thank the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival as well as Banff Lake Louise Tourism. The Festival is hosted each year in Banff, followed by a World Tour in over 40 countries, and showcases stories of adventure from around the world. The winning student entry will be screened in front of a sold ...

Take Me Tobogganing

Take Me Outside wants to make a short film that will inspire kids to grab their toboggans and head for the hills. This film will be cinematically stunning, high adrenaline and will capture the joy of winter in Canada. We’ll use tobogganing as the vehicle for this film, however, the take away message will be highlighting the benefits of kids spending time outside and the sense of fun that comes with it. Let’s get kids excited about winter! Canadian winters can be a time when we all find excuses to stay inside a bit more. But with inside time comes screen time – a lot of it. Canadian students are spending an average of 8 hours a day in front of ...

How Justin Trudeau’s time outside shaped him as politician, educator and father.

My conversation with Justin Trudeau started in the unlikeliest of places. I had recently finished running across Canada and was fortunate enough to be granted an interview with our future prime minister. In early 2012, he was a local MP, splitting his time between Ottawa and Montreal while I had settled into Victoria after spending the previous 9 months running westward from Newfoundland. Our interview would be by phone, and not being particularly tech savvy (even after doing some research), the best solution for recording the conversation was to put the phone on speaker, hold it up close to my laptop to be recorded, and hope that the audio ...

6 Reasons Why Canadians Should Go Tobogganing This Winter!

Winters in Canada help define who we are. Yes, we may whine about cold snaps, incompetent winter drivers, shoveling and wet mitts, but there is little doubt that this land shapes who we are as Canadians. Spending time in the great outdoors is fundamental to our national identity. Each winter, every city, every town, every community across Canada, has some kind of hill that is transformed into a gathering space when the snow starts to fall. So to embrace our nippy northern climate (yes, even you Toronto), here are 6 reasons why Canadians of all ages, should go tobogganing (or sliding as it’s called in some parts of this country) this winter: 1. ...

Past Winners of the Take Me Outside Student Video Contest

The 2015 Take Me Outside Student Video Contest is excited to announce the winners! First off, we just want to thank a few folks. Mountain Equipment Co-op is the main sponsor of this contest and we’re really grateful for their support. They have donated some great prizes for the winners, helping students across this country get outside. We also want to thank the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival as well as Banff Lake Louise Tourism. The Festival is hosted each year in Banff, followed by a World Tour in over 40 countries, and showcases stories of adventure from around the world. The winning student entry will be screened in front of a sold ...

#RediscoverNature Photo Contest

Take Me Outside, in partnership with Nature Valley and Banff Lake Louise Tourism would like to thank everyone for their participation in the #RediscoverNature photo contest. We are excited to announce Jennifer Alexander as the Grand Prize Winner! Jennifer’s family has won a 4 day all expense paid trip to Banff to enjoy Canada’s oldest National Park. We are so thankful that Banff Lake Louise Tourism donated this prize to encourage more families to rediscover nature throughout these past few weeks. Below is Jennifer’s photo that was randomly selected as the winner. Nature Valley has also donated some great prize packs. If you see your ...