Town & Country

8 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2016 A R O U N D T H E I N T E R L A K E Training centre opens in Arborg A NEW TRAINING CENTRE IN ARBORG, THE CENTRAL INTERLAKE TRAINING FACILITY, IS ALREADY ENROLLING STUDENTS. Modelled after Fieldstone Ventures in Ashern, the facility arose from Arborg's commitment to build a new 80-bed personal care home (PCH), slated for completion in 2018-19. In order to secure all the necessary approvals, staffing for the PCH had to be available. The best solution was for Arborg to find a way to train localpeople. The Town of Arborg is partnering with Fieldstone Ventures, which is coordinating courses and helping to get the facility up andrunning. Classes for a six-month Health Care Aide course, delivered through Red River College, begin this summer and a second course is slated to begin early in 2017. A two-year Practical Nursing course, delivered through Assiniboine Community College, is also planned to start in 2017. It is estimated that 130 to 150 new staff will be required once the new PCH opens. In the short term, the focus of training will be on health care. However, a wide range of adult education courses are being considered for the future. Training that will help prospective employees qualify for locally available jobs will be offered whenever possible. For information, contact Arborg-Bifrost Community Development Corporation economic development officer Pat McCallum at 204-641-5112, email: abcdc@mymts.net, or Arborg & District Chamber of Commerce president Owen Eyolfson at 204-799-3362, email: owen@arborghotel.com. — Submitted by the Arborg-Bifrost Community Development Corporation EVERYTHING HASA STORY RUNNING THROUGH IT, AND DR.HEATHER HINAM HAS FOUND A WAY TO MAKE ITHERBUSINESS. "I look at everything through the lens of what is a good story," says Hinam, owner/operator of Second Nature, Adventures inDiscovery. The award-winning business, which is underscored by the concept of experiential tourism, is designed to connect people to their world, whether they are visiting from far away, or just stepping out closer to home. That mandate requires that Hinam employ her eclectic talents and skills as a naturalist, artist, photographer, heritage interpreter andeducator. She says one way to look at experiential tourism is as a shared experience with the people who live in the place you are visiting. "Whether it's learning how to bake bread with a local baker or going with commercial shermen on Hecla and having the knife in your hand to clean a sh, it creates a meaningful connection with the place that they're visiting," she says. "Experiential travel is all about facilitating connections and moments. It's getting people off the beaten track and behind the scenes and engaging them, beyond the guided tour where you're being spoken at." That works for both the tourists and the local people who are involved in providing theactivities. "It's more memorable and you are more likely to tell the stories when you go home," shesays. Hinam provides creative services that include interpretative signage and sketchwork (the informational signs you might see on the trail or at a heritage site); development training in experiential tourism; keynote lectures; research and logistical support for lmmakers and other media, and more. You can see her illustrative and signage work in Teulon at Green Acres Park and at Selkirk Park, to name a few. "Some will be up very shortly at the Gaynor Family Library in Selkirk — they have about three acres developed into an urban prairie," shesays. Hinam grew up in Winnipeg, and completed her formal education at the University of Manitoba, capping it off with a PhD in Conservation Biology in Alberta, before making her way back to Winnipeg. "Summers at the cottage drew me to nature," she says. "Growing up, I was always curious about what was going on around me. I got interested in birds really early on, and I always liked to draw." As she pursued her education, she realized she didn't want to be an academic. She nished her degree anyway and looked around for what else she might do. A colleague bought a tour company, which sounded like a good business, but she felt she needed more experience rst. So she pitched herself as a naturalist for the former resort at Hecla Island. When it shut down, Hinam decided it was time to start planning her ownbusiness. "At that point, I was on the board with the Interlake Tourism Association and I knew a lot of people and I made a lot of contacts at Travel Manitoba, and I started sending out feelers: 'If I started a business would you guys be there to help me?' " She pursued various programs designed to help self-starters, received some loan assistance and mentorship and got herself going. Over time, her focus has moved from offering tours herself to training anddevelopment. "Experiential tourism is really good for the communities because they get to develop really interesting and high-end tourist activities without needing infrastructure — you are working with people who are already there telling theirstories." She says her goal is to help Manitoba communities work together to create "pockets of experiences" to draw people to their regions and have them stay longer. Hinam has partnered with the Manitoba Tourism Education Council to help develop and deliver programming. She's travelled all over the province in the last year providing training andsupport. "I just love helping people share what makes them special — that's a huge driver for me," shesays. "In Manitoba, we have so many amazing things and yet I nd we tend to take ourselves for granted," she says. "So I love to help bring those stories to life whether it's a nature story or a fascinating individual or piece of history." Learn more at www.discoversecondnature.ca FUNDERS SPONSORS ® J U LY 3 1 A U G U S T 1 3 • FREE ADMISSION Children 12 and under are FREE • Single Admission $6 per pavilion • Mini Fun Pack $25 for 5 tickets • Vickar Automotive Group Fun Pack $54 for 12 tickets • VIP Tours starting at $34.95 Questions? Contact us at (204) 982 6210 Immerse yourself in culture and diversity from around the world. W O V E N T O G E T H E R F O L K L O R A M A . C A Dr. Heather Hinam works with communities to tap into experiential tourism opportunities. Photo by Darcy Finley SHARED EXPERIENCES CONNECT PEOPLE TO PLACES BY WENDY KING

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