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8 bd 3 Continued from page 1 os, oats 19 disrupted shut dc Mowe a aed foctlies like gyms and arenas in Halton Hills and across the & region, residents gravitat- ed to the natural world in = drove: Halton Ne | Thursday, February 24, 2022 | fal alone around the block or through the lo- cal park, however, became OUR CHANGED WORLD nandez. rvation Halton's Col multiple parks experi- mental well-being, said Vytvytskyy. "Becoming more fit, having more energy and aang into smaller sized thing have been wel- come byproducts after be- ing shut down by COVID," said Fernandez. Halton i ion is rich i in green- spaces that offer perfect year-round backdrops for hiking, mountain biking, ‘iing, i and quite under a few times out, said Fer- nandez, whose organiza- tion has seen a steady up- tick in memberships; peo- ple seeking opportunities to stay fit outdoors, such as hiking, cycling and pad- di “For many of our mem- bers, this is a change of life- style that they enjoy and will continue to enjoy even after COVID is put a cold, cruel memory," said Fer- 1.2021 as compared to 2019. ‘Nature has been sucha big part of our communi- 'S demic experience. We believe it has changed peoples’ views of the natu- ral world for the better," sai Vytvytskyy, Conservation Halton COO. Regardless of age or oc- cupation, people are realiz- ture and the connection toit isso impor- tant to their physical and LOCKYER "We had a huge uptake in mountain biking, a huge uptake in skiing lessons snowboarding les- sons," said Vytvytskyy. on Glen Eden ski hills w to close, CH introduced snowshoe- ing. program was so successful that staff had to reach out to local vendors to help meet the huge de- mand for rentals. "When you are sur- +HEIN ie BARRISTERS + SOLIC A law firm dedicated to Empowering Clients. Enriching the Community. ITORS rounded by nature, you are your true self, because there are no digital pieces. The way y ook at nature, it most aoe 10N eelt cleanse your mind of things that af- fect your day-to-day. Ev- erything in nature hap- pens on its own and it's fas- cinating to realize that. To me, this resiliency of na- ture, the ability to bounce back, is unbelievable." fat ie Trepani who moved to Oa ville 4 in April of 2020, said she has always been an outdoorsy type, but "I have definitely upped my game.” "In the back of my con- do, I saw trails and started walking during my lunch since I had to work from home for a few months," she said. Cycling around Halton and hiking at Bronte Creek Provincial Park led to A Full Corporate L. Firrr membership i in the HOC. summer I cycled and hiked with the club; in the winter, I ski and snow- shoe and hike as well. This has made my move and life in Oakville so much more enjoyable. It has helped my mental health as well." It's always a Sood thing to meet different people and try different things, said Debra Owens, a for- mer Oakville resident now living in Toronto, who ven- tures west to take advan- tage of Halton's outdoor spaces. "It's always more fun to be with a group, pandemic or not, but particularly during the pandemic," said Owens. Research by clinical psychologists suggests that it takes anywhere from 21 to 256 days to form new habits, and as we approach over 720 days since the be- Including Family ills & Estat Law, Employment, Real Estate, state Litigation and Civil Litigation. NO SHORTAGE OF HALTON PARKS TO EXPLORE ginning of the pandemic, it's safe to say that people who have joined HOC have had more than sufficient time to crystallize their new activities into long- term habits, said Fernan- eZ. “Turns out you just can't get enough of nature. And iti is habit forming," he add- STORY BEHIND THE STORY: As the pandemic forced many to abandon ir usual recreational activities, people turned to the natural world for exer- cise and solace. We wanted to discover why, and if this trend of outdoor enthusi- asts will last. SCAN THIS CODE for more coverage of OUR CHANGED 3 WORLD. OFFICE LOCATIONS GEORGETOWN 8 Guelph Street | 905.452.7400 Brampton Office (Main) 350 Rutherford Road S., Suite 320 | 905.452.7400 CALEDON EAST 15955 Airport Road, Suite 201 | 905.584.4545 Proud Supporter of the Proud Georgetown Hospital member of IQ HALTON HILLS ecm www.lhlaw.ca