Mt Seymour

I Started snowboarding on Mt Seymour around 12 years ago, back when the beginner hill still used a rope tow to pull you back up the hill. I remember we would put duct tape on our gloves so they would last longer than a few trips up the hill. Seymour mountain has always been one of my favourite mountains and between working, camping in the snow, and going hiking to the very top of the third peak, I’ve spent a large part of my life here. This mountain is where I learned to snowboard as well as get down the hill with skis. I guess I need more practice skiing before I can do a run without falling over. I remember many trips up to Seymour with friends and family always excited to see who could be the fastest down the hill. Working at the tube Slope on Seymour for the past four seasons is another reason why this mountain is such an important part of my community. Meeting great people as well as providing a fun experience for guests has been one of my favourite jobs that I’ve had. Even though it can be cold and rainy, I still have fun any time I visit Mt Seymour.

Capilano University

The Capilano University campus is an area where nowadays I spend most of my time, upwards of 9 hours a day. I enjoy being on campus in the mornings before classes start when it’s quiet and not much is going on, It’s very peaceful in those early hours. Between classes, I like to study and hang out with my friends in one of the collaboration rooms around the campus. The library collaboration room is a favourite and we have spent many hours the night before a quiz or test cramming and reviewing. Capilano university is home to a great many students from all demographics, who come to further their educations. The university has over 7,500 students and roughly one hundred programs. The campus paths and trails are great places to walk around when you need to take a break from coursework. Another place on campus that I enjoy is the gym and its weight room as I try to go at least three times a week. I also like exploring new buildings and parts of campus that I haven’t seen yet and I plan to continue while attending classes during my second semester at Capilano University.

Blueridge Trails

Mountain biking has been one of my favourite things to do growing up on the north shore. I am lucky to live less than five minutes from trails and in an area where, since mountain biking is popular, there are many well-maintained trails for riding. I probably rode my first bike when I was around five years old and have loved it ever since. Being able to ride a bike around my community on all the trails and roads gave me a sense of freedom because as a kid that expanded where I could explore within my community when I wanted to. The trails are also great for hiking as well as walking dogs and hundreds of people both from inside and outside my community enjoy those activities every week. The trails are a great place to take a break and just walk around, especially on a nice warm sunny day. I have many fond memories of walking or biking on these trails with friends and family or exploring on my own. I always liked exploring in the forest so whenever I had the chance I would put my headphones in and go for a bike ride on a new trail, pretty soon I had been on every trail near my house at least a dozen times.

Ron Andrews

Ron Andrews community recreation centre was and continues to be a big piece of my community for many reasons. Growing up I would hang out with my friends in and around the rec centre as well as the creek nearby. When I was little, I used to take swimming lessons at Ron Andrews every year. I remember playing foosball with my mom and sisters before going to the pool for a lesson. For the past two years, I have started going to the weight room at Ron Andrews to work out and have made a lot of progress in that time. At first, I was lazy and didn’t want to go, but my friends got me to go and I’m grateful for that. I started going more often and for almost a year I would try to go to the gym at least four times a week. Being very competitive by nature, I would compete with the people I worked out with to see who could lift more. Going to the gym improved my physical as well as mental health and I became friends with a few people who I would regularly see at the gym. Ron Andrews was my first gym, and I will always remember all the fun times I had there.