Not a bad day for winter walk
This was second year for event, co-hosted by loca community health board and Yarmouth Recreation
As people were gathering in the parking area at Maple Grove Education Centre in Hebron for the Yarmouth County Community Health Board’s second annual Heritage Day walk, Tony Dorrian, one of the event’s organizers, laughed that it was just their luck that there would be a snowfall the day before.
Still, the conditions for the Feb. 19 Yarmouth County walk were pretty good, Dorrian would say later.
“The weather was co-operative,” he said, “and most of the snow had melted away, making the sidewalks and trail easy to access.”
This was the second year for the walk, an initiative of the community health board, which again hosted the event with Yarmouth Recreation.
Just over 100 people turned out this year, compared to 80 or so in 2017, and Dorrian, health board co-chair, said organizers were pleased with the number of participants.
The event was a chance for people to get out and be active while marking Heritage Day, Nova Scotia’s newest holiday.
Last year’s walk was held in the Town of Yarmouth, but organizers decided to have this year’s event in the county. Participants in this year’s walk left Maple Grove around 1 p.m., headed south on Route 1 and made their way to the Hebron Recreation Complex.
Apple cider and healthy snacks were available at the post-walk reception, “which tied into our promotion of health and wellness,” Dorrian said.
“We had a few prize draws and tried to ensure that all of the kids who were present went home with something.”
The plan is to have another event in 2019, Dorrian said, with the hope of building on the success of the first two years.
“It is great to come together as a community like this,” he said. “We are fortunate that Yarmouth has beautiful wide-open spaces, trails and walkways.
Walking is a great way to improve our own personal health and wellness, and walking in an event of this nature has added benefits.
We can get to know people and build a sense of community spirit as well.”