‘Amazing experience’: Young Nova Scotians get the chance to try sailing

African Nova Scotians and Indigenous youth get a chance to try sailing for at Africville Marina.

It’s been a week of fun on the water for about a dozen African Nova Scotians and Indigenous youth.

They’ve been participating in a mobile sailing school put on by Sail Nova Scotia and WeCANFoil.

The school has been travelling across the province over the summer and is in Africville this week.

“Nova Scotia has a great sailing and ocean culture here, and I think the more kids that can experience that on the water and sailboats the better,” said Sail Nova Scotia Executive Director Frank Denis.

The program is free and has introduced sailing to more than 100 young people just this summer.

“It’s just an amazing experience, and I know the kids has a phenomenal time,” said WeCANFoil Atlantic representative Tara Macaulay. “It was above and beyond.”

‘History in the making’

The location of this week’s school is special because it will be the home of the Africville Marina, which will include a sailing school of its own.

“It’s like history in the making,” said Africville Museum executive director Juanita Peters.

“This is just phase one of a bigger project. We’re really interested in opening the doors to Black and Indigenous students who want to learn to sail.”

The sailing school is being developed with Sail Nova Scotia, but there is much more in store.

“We hope by 2027 we have the full marina in gear, so that means we have a building, we have a seating area, and we have beautiful boardwalks that take people around the property of Africville and connect to the City of Halifax,” said Peters.

Gold medal coach

This week has been fun for both the participants and coaches alike – one of whom just took home gold at the Canada Summer Games.

“Wow, it was just an amazing experience. It felt very professional, the environment, and it was like the top performance in Canada,” said Ethan Thompson.

The 18-year-old won gold in the Sailing Double Handed 29er Men’s. He’s also volunteers as a coach for WeCANFoil.

“It’s just been amazing coming back from that and teaching these kids straight away,” he said.

Moses Morrison and Josiah Brown, who are both 16 years old, have been soaking in every minute of the school.

“It’s really interesting. I think we’ve learned a lot and it’s opening up a whole new kind of hobby. It’s really cool,” said Morrison.

“I want to start taking this sport professionally and more serious,” said Brown.

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