Sarah Pruys
Local teen Kari Manty possibly was part of one of the last groups to ever participate in the Katimavik program, which ended last month due to a lack of government funding.
The program, which started in 1977, allows youth aged 17-21 to volunteer full-time for six months across Canada.
In groups of 11, participants spend three months working in one community before transferring to another community for the final three months.
Katimavik, which means “meeting place” in Inuktitut, is meant to represent Canada in miniature—and meeting people from all across the country was one of the best parts, said Manty.
People became friends who normally never would have been in high school or other social situations.
“Katimavik was the most ideal stepping stone for me, more than I possibly could have imagined before leaving,” the 19-year-old enthused.
“All my life, I’d lived in the same house, in the same community,” she noted. “It was the first real time I’d left my family and my comfort zone for more than a couple weeks.
“And it was perfect because rather than being totally on my own for this first time, I was with a group of youth in the same situation, who became my new family,” Manty added.
“We accomplished so much in our six months, and it’s given me the confidence to be on my own and taught me that I am capable of being independent.”
Together, her group did evening and weekend volunteer work, led second-language lessons, and brought in speakers to do workshops with them. Topics included learning about “green” cleaning, community safety, and making dream catchers.
During the day, each participant had their own individual volunteer positions. While in Toronto for the first three months, Manty worked for Evergreen BrickWorks as an assistant counsellor at a children’s summer camp.
The program focused on bringing nature into the city, with the Fort High grad noting the young children always were amazed by little things, such as bugs, plants, and creeks.
Growing up in Alberton, these were things Manty never gave a second thought to. But for a six-year-old in Toronto, it was something new and exciting.
The group then moved to Mashteuiatsh, Que., a small reserve town that spoke mainly French. At her new position organizing birth and death records, Manty was immersed in a completely Francophone environment.
In addition to volunteering, the group also focused on becoming highly-environmentally conscientious. They followed the time-of-use system, trying to use the majority of electricity during off-peak and mid-peak hours.
All of their food was homemade—from salad dressings to bread. They also grew herbs in a small garden, and tried to buy from farmers’ markets to support the local economy.
“We preferred fresh organic produce whenever possible,” said Manty.
But now, after more than 30,000 Canadian have gone through the program, volunteering in about 2000 communities, the registered charity is closing.
“It’s disappointing, it’s an amazing program,” stressed Manty. “I’ve seen people’s lives changed.
“It benefits everyone,” she added. “It benefits the youth but also the community.
“Lots of people are fighting for it,” Manty noted. “A lot of people know the benefits.”
The thousands of people who have developed life-long skills and friendships do not want the program to end. They want others to be able to have the same great experiences that they had.
Numerous Facebook groups and petitions have popped up in an effort to save the program.
In the meantime, almost 600 youths who were expecting to begin this July now will have to find other ways to spend their fall.
There are more than 50 communities counting on Katimavik to support their volunteer programs. Without Katimavik, these other programs also are in danger of disappearing.
But while this unique program likely will end for now, there’s always the possibility it will be reinstated again as it was in 1994.
As well, others programs are available. Manty, for instance, plans to participate in “Explore” this July before heading off to school in the fall.
“Explore” is a bursary program in which Anglophones can attend a French university for five weeks while Francophones can attend an English university.
Manty will be attending the University of Montreal, during which time she’ll be completely immersed in French.
But after months of living and working with Francophones while with Katimavik, she is excited for the opportunity to get a better grasp on the language.
“It’s sad that they are part of your group, and part of your country, but you don’t know their language,” Manty remarked.
“It’s a huge barrier.”
While in Montreal, Manty is excited to visit friends she made during Katimavik, as well as make new friends who share the same goal of becoming bilingual.
“I’m so excited to travel to Montreal and have the opportunity to continue to expand my knowledge of Canada’s second language,” she enthused.
“Before Katimavik, I was never particularly interested in learning French, but the program truly gave me a whole new appreciation for the language and an understanding of its importance within our country.
“July is an amazing time to be in Montreal, and I can’t wait for the multitude of cultural experiences that await me there,” Manty added.
The bursary includes tuition, residence, and meals, with the opportunity to transfer credits to your home university afterwards.
