A group of former Katimavik participants, who currently live in Jasper, got together for a small reunion, May 6.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the federal government recently revived the youth volunteer program after the former Conservative government cut funding to the program in 2012.
Created in 1977 under the government of Trudeau's father, Pierre Trudeau, the program sends groups of 11 young people between the ages of 17 to 21 to spend 9 months volunteering in three different communities across the country.
“I was so devastated,” said Julie Des Becquets, when she heard the program was going to be cut.
“It’s such a rich program for Canadians to have and the fact that it was not going to be an opportunity for anybody in the next generation, it just blew my mind that they were completely eliminating the program,” said Des Becquets who hosted the reunion at her house and is a former project leader with the program.
She said she was thrilled when she heard it was going to be revived.
For her, Katimavik was more than just a youth volunteer program. Both her parents met in Katimavik and her father worked as a director for Katimavik in Ontario for over 15-years.
“I’m a born Katimavik baby,” said Des Becquets, with a laugh.
The three main pillars of Katimavik, which means “meeting place” in the Inuktitut language, revolve around community, the environment and language.
“The basis of the program–the reason of it being–was [Senator Jacques] Hébert and Pierre Elliott Trudeau came up with the whole idea because they thought it was a great opportunity for youth to be able to not only learn about these three major aspects–community, environment and language–but it was also an opportunity for them to get work experience, because every community you go to you volunteer at different organizations,” explained Des Becquets.
Over its 35-year history Katimavik has enabled more than 35,000 young Canadians to become actively involved in different communities across the country representing over 30 million volunteer hours.
“It’s changed a lot of people’s lives,” said Rebecca Croden, who was one of Des Becquet’s program participants in 2008/2009.
If anyone has questions about Katimavik they are encouraged to contact Des Becquets at [email protected].
Paul Clarke [email protected]
