Getting more than 120 women and children onto two school buses and up a mountain takes planning, patience, and trust, especially when many families are navigating a park visit like this for the first time.
That was the reality for the recent field trips the community of Pacific Immigrant Resource Society (PIRS) took to Cypress Mountain, made possible through support from BC Parks Foundation’s Spark Grants.
Over two days, women and children in PIRS’s Safe Haven program—many of whom have been in Canada for less than a year—travelled out of the city and into the forests and lakes that shape life in British Columbia. The Safe Haven program supports women and children who are refugee claimants and asylum seekers as they settle into life in Canada.
“For many of our participants, access to nature hasn’t always been possible,” said Valerie Lai, Program Coordinator at PIRS. “When people first arrive in Canada, their time and energy are often focused on settling in—finding housing, attending appointments, and adjusting to a new system. Opportunities to spend time in nature often come later, if at all.”
Having now organized these trips for three years with support from Spark grants, Valerie has seen just how important they are for the health and wellbeing of the women and children she works with.
“Many of our participants are rebuilding their lives in a new place,” she said. “They’re managing a lot of stress. Spending time in nature is an important form of care. It supports mental and emotional wellbeing and offers a calm, welcoming space to pause and breathe.”
At Cypress Mountain, before the trail walk began, the group gathered to hear a welcome from an Indigenous Knowledge Keeper from Squamish territory. She shared a song and the story of the Twin Sisters, a Squamish teaching connected to the mountains surrounding the area.
The story tells of two sisters who brought warring nations together through a feast, creating peace, and who now watch over the land from the mountains.
Many later shared that this moment was one of the highlights of the trip.
“Hearing a story of this land, and being welcomed by someone whose ancestors have lived here for thousands of years, helped participants feel connected to the place they were visiting,” Valerie shared. “It offered a sense of grounding, understanding, and belonging—an experience that stayed with them throughout the day.”
The rest of the day was busy and joyful. Children flew kites, walked forest trails, and made artwork inspired by the forests and lakes around them. Families stopped often to take photos of lake views, towering trees, and each other, all seeing a BC park up close for the first time.
BC Parks Foundation Spark grant funding covered transportation and coordination. These are the barriers that can keep families from reaching places like Cypress Mountain.
“Without that support,” Valerie said, “this just wouldn’t happen.”
On the ride home, the buses crept through rush-hour traffic for nearly two hours.
“But instead of restlessness, there was calm,” Valerie said. “Everyone was laughing, telling stories, looking at photos. No one complained about the long ride, not even the kids. They were joyful.”
Later, messages began appearing in a shared chat:
- “Thank you very much for all the beautiful memories; we will treasure them in our hearts.”
- “It was lovely to share this experience and meet new people.”
- “The outing was very beautiful.”
And several asked the same question: “When can we go again?”
For Valerie, those statements and that question capture the impact of the Spark grant perfectly.
“They’re starting to feel connected to where they are,” she said. “They’re creating positive and meaningful memories here. Spending time in nature helps foster a sense of belonging and feeling at home in BC. We are so grateful to the people who make these grants possible. Please tell them that. Please tell them, ‘Thank you.’”