Six-year-old Summer tries out a new hopscotch stencil at Kinsmen park following the launch of this year’s Paint the Town Positive Pathway program this week. It’s a partnership with the Lloydminster Youth Council, the City and the Lloydminster and District Co-op. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
A fresh hopscotch stencil at the Kinsmen Participark is kid-tested and approved.
A little six-year-old girl named Summer gave it her endorsement following the official launch of this year’s Paint the Town Positive program, initiated by the Lloydminster Youth Council (LYC).
“It’s a very fun thing. I really like doing it,” said Summer, who didn’t miss a step on the hopscotch pattern painted on the park pathway at 29 Street and 56 Avenue.
The goal is to paint up to 50 creative stencils in neighbourhoods, parks, and pathways around Lloydminster over the course of the summer led by youth council volunteers.
One of those is Gracie Lilienskold, who hopes to paint a few this summer for the enjoyment of people of all ages.
“I think it’s a simple way for people to stay active. It doesn’t take much to do a little thing like hopscotch,” said the 14-year-old.
“It’s a good way to involve all different ages from little kids to adults in different community activities.”
Lilienskold says it’s also a way for her to give back to the community and help promote physical activity within the community.
The pathway stencil project is the result of a three-way partnership involving the LYC, the City of Lloydminster and the Lloydminster and District Co-op.
Councillor Lorelee Marin, who is chair of the LYC, also gave her own hopscotch skills a test before explaining how the project came about.
“The youth council, in 2017, decided they wanted to do something every year to paint the town positive,” said Marin.
“We saw this happen in another community and thought that would be really great for our paint the town positive initiative for 2022.”
Marin says it will encourage families, children, and senior citizens to enjoy activities like hopscotch, mirror me, and counting games and enjoy Lloydminster’s free spaces.
“Hopefully people will venture out of their neighbourhood and explore some other pathways across the city and enjoy a little bit of fun activity while they’re out,” she added.
The project is sponsored by the Co-op to the delight of CEO, Peter Brown, who attended the launch.
“We’re just a partner in a monetary fashion and just help support this project so we can get some of these stencils out in the beautiful parks we have in the city,” said Brown.
“Hopefully it encourages some exploration and people start sourcing out some other parks and checking them out.”
A free map featuring the stencilled pathways and neighbourhoods can be picked up at any Co-op gas bar or at the Co-op Marketplace and will be available later this month.
In the meantime, a call for volunteers is open and citizens can register to paint a stencil by emailing [email protected] for the registration link.
