Several years ago, Charlotte was an ACC member of the ACC Calgary Section, but she didn’t feel like she was fully able to engage with the Club. Sharing her experiences, Charlotte explains, “In the past, the ACC has had somewhat an ‘Old Boys Club’ feeling to it, and when signing up for trips, I encountered barriers to access events. Despite working in a climbing gym for over five years, the trip leaders didn’t believe that I was able to even tie a figure-eight knot!”
Instead of being discouraged, Charlotte looked for ways to promote a more inclusive outdoors community. Recognizing her wealth of knowledge and willingness to help, she posted to Facebook for her friends, inviting anyone who was interested in recreating outdoors but didn’t know where to start to contact her for some mentoring.
Her post blew up and was shared by friends, family, friends of friends, and more. Through this post, Charlotte connected with a young woman who has epilepsy who wanted to go into the backcountry with her nephews. She had only been in Canada for two years and had never been anywhere without cell service. Charlotte collaborated with this woman to discover safe ways to get into the backcountry, and to create a rescue plan. Sharing her knowledge of sat phones and inReach devices, Charlotte empowered this woman to take her nephews on a trip. “It was a wonderful feeling when the woman shared photos of her trip with me. I felt proud that she was able to step outside her comfort zone and to enjoy our beautiful outdoors in a safe way” shared Charlotte.
In Spring 2020, as a response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the ACC Edmonton Section pursued a grant from the Red Cross Community Support Fund, Alpine Outreach and Equity Project. As the board was preparing the grant, there was apprehension because we were unsure if we served the communities that the grant targeted. Charlotte joined the committee, and quickly identified that “While we may not currently serve these communities, we CAN and SHOULD serve the communities!”
As Chair of the Red Cross Grant Committee, Charlotte and her team were awarded the full amount they applied for, and the money is already being used by the Edmonton Section to promote inclusion, equity, and diversity in our Club. A full write-up on the Red Cross Grant will be coming in the future!
For the future of the ACC Edmonton Section, Charlotte plans to use her position on the Board to change the perception of ACC as an “Old Boy’s Club. “We want the community to know that we’re inclusive. We’re okay if you have different pronouns, different skin colours, different sexualities. We want to make it more accessible to people, and we want to promote that we can do those things.”
In the past, some people felt that there were gates everywhere to get involved in an ACC trip. If you are brand new to a sport and didn’t have any clue, a Trip Leader may say that you need more experience but wouldn’t help you find ways to get more experience. In Charlotte’s vision of the ACC Edmonton Section, our Club will accommodate all levels, including beginners: “My goal is for the Edmonton Section to say convey the message ‘Welcome, anyone can try this.’ Everyone starts from scratch when they’re trying something new, and that needs to be respected. We can’t just say that because you don’t have experience, doesn’t mean you can’t try it, or call yourself a climber.”
Going forward, Charlotte is looking for more community partners to build relationships with, to provide as wide an offering of services and supports for our Inclusion, Equity and Diversion activities as possible.
To provide barrier free access to diverse communities, the ACC Edmonton Section is seeking community partners to help with:
• Gear to be used on outdoor trips- anything from camping equipment, climbing gear, camp food, even coffee!
• Transportation
• We will also be accepting monetary donations in the future. If you are interested in supporting financially, please email edi@accedmonton.ca
We are also looking for members and volunteers for the Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Committee work. If you are interested in joining, please email Charlotte edi@accedmonton.ca
• Grant support- someone who can explore grant and funding options available to support the goals of the committee
• Volunteers for video projects If you would like to help, are looking for a script and a video for the following topics:
o Snowshoeing tips or how to choose a pair
o Trail etiquette
o Winter in the mountains
o Summer in the mountains
o Ticks and bugs
o Bears and beasts
o Plant collection and plant ID
o Planning your day trip
