John Mealey is a lifelong skier with a passion for instilling others with his love for the sport. At founder of Second Tracks, he has partnered with Blue Mountain and the Collingwood YMCA to provide disadvantaged youth with the opportunity to ski and snowboard at no cost.

The program consists of two four-week cohorts, each with 50 participants. Every Sunday, the kids receive free equipment rentals, free lessons from Blue Mountain instructors, pizza to keep them fuelled up, and transportation to and from South Base Lodge. The participants are free to choose between skiing and snowboarding or, if they feel so inclined, they can use the four week program to try both.

Along with Mealey and the Blue Mountain staff, roughly 20 volunteers dedicate their times to skiing with the kids and providing additional support to the program.

So far the program has been highly successful, with participants learning new skills, building confidence, and making friends. It has also successfully accomplished what it set out to achieve, which is reducing barriers to youth participation in outdoor activities line skiing and snowboarding.

To learn more, read our featured article on Second Tracks in On The Bay magazine! https://onthebaymagazine.com/second-tracks/