Earlier this year when Covid-19 forced shut downs in March, Parks, Recreation & Culture wanted to offer the community something fun but safe, encouraging families to get outside into Nanaimo’s many City Parks while following the Provincial Health Orders.

StoryWalks® were suggested as a way to achieve a fun and safe activity. These events had been offered in the past but were usually one-day affairs, where storyboards were taken down at the end of the event. Staff thought creatively on how to proceed with a Story Walk event avoiding large gatherings and maintaining physical distancing. They decided to leave the stories up for two weeks at a time before moving to a different location for others to enjoy.  In the summer of 2020, five different stories were featured!So what is a StoryWalk® exactly? StoryWalk® is a book that has been laminated and mounted onto boards, then affixed to post or fences giving people the opportunity to walk through the park, reading the storyboards along the way. The goal of these events is to encourage community outdoor recreation, physical activity and literacy. 

With such success over the summer and thanks to the very temperate winter climate, staff have extended the program into the winter months too! “Snowmen at Night” will be up in various City Parks throughout the entire month of December for families to enjoy. It will be at Bowen Park December 9 & 10, Oliver Woods Playground December 14-18 (taken down at 11am) and Wally Creek Trail by Harry Wipper Field December 18-28, 2020. This holiday season, please stay safe and enjoy “Snowmen at Night” with the young readers in your life. Share your experiences on social media and tag @nanaimoparkandrec and @cityofnanaimo on Instagram. 

Copyright info:

The StoryWalk® concept was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and was developed with the help of Rachel Senechal, Kellogg-Hubbard Library.