Winter by the Sea took place Saturday afternoon on the Halifax Common.
The annual event is put on by the city of Halifax and the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia or ISANS. The goal is to give newcomers to Canada a chance to celebrate popular winter activities.
“It’s hard for a lot of the families who are arriving from a warmer climate to adjust to winter and (we) want them to know that winter can be fun and we can celebrate winter,” said Hilary Thorne, community connections coordinator with ISANS.
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Besides learning some new winter sports, there was also an opportunity for newcomers to learn how to properly dress and what clothing can keep them warm when the temperature drops.
ISANS was expecting a larger turnout this weekend than previous years because of a recent influx of newcomers to the Halifax area. The event was made possible with the help of 50 volunteers, many of them youths.
“Some of these people have never seen snow before right, so it can be a little bit intimidating. It can be cold, so we’re to teach them how to stay warm and how to have fun,” volunteer Wes Kerr said.
Snowshoeing proved to be a challenging but fun activity for those who took the time to give it a try.
“Getting them on is kind of confusing,” Kerr said of the snowshoes. “They think they know how it goes and then they try it and go, ‘Wait, that… (doesn’t go) quite as I thought.’ So you give them a hand and get them on. But as soon as they’re on, they just take off flying over the fields here so it’s a lot of fun to see.”
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Having an opportunity to skate on the Emera Oval was the highlight for many taking part in Winter by the Sea. For some, it was their first time ever on ice.
“Before, no. I learn new, I learn new to skate,” said Marwan Ramdan, who took his young daughter to the event.
“I like skating but I’m really not that good at it,” said Midya Hamo, who is spending her second winter in Halifax this year.
“I am from Syria. I came, Feb. 2, 2016 and it’s now, for me, one year in Canada, in Halifax.”
Organizers said they hope to encourage more people to get out and take advantage of what winter can offer.