To help kickstart adventures big and small, we’re stoked to announce community grants and funding as part of [MEC Outdoor Impact](/en/explore/outdoor-impact). MEC has a deep history of supporting up-and-coming outdoor groups and initiatives, and that’s something we want to keep going. Through these grants, we’re committed to breaking down barriers to access and creating more inclusive spaces outdoors.

Queer Gear Kits

Community grants

Learn about grants and funding opportunities available from MEC.

Community support

Giving back to the outdoors

Alpine Club of Canada

Association of Canadian Mountain Guides

Avalanche Canada

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

L.A. Foundation

Leave No Trace Canada

Parkbus

Parks Canada

Protect Our Winters Canada

Spirit North

Take Me Outside

National partners

Avalanche Québec

North Shore Mountain Bike Association

Local partners

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a deeply important day to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools in Canada. The significance of the date, September 30, stems from [Orange Shirt Day](https://orangeshirtday.org/about-us/).

We encourage you to learn more about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada calls to action, including the responsibilities of organizations, in the [Calls to Action report](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/calls_to_action_english2.pdf).

## Our journey this year
As an organization, we’re committed to our journey towards Truth and Reconciliation year-round. MEC supports partnerships focused on reconciliation in the outdoors. A few of our latest steps for 2023:

- This year, MEC connected with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, who shared that they have need for gear for their outdoor school for Indigenous youth. We plan to coordinate a gear donation tailored to their specific needs.
- MEC will also make monetary donations to both the Orange Shirt Society and the [Sníchim Foundation](https://snichimfoundation.ca/), a non-profit focused on revitalizing the language of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh people.
- Through MEC Outdoor Impact, we’re proud to support [Spirit North](https://www.spiritnorthxc.ca/) as part of our commitment to Reconciliation. Spirit North empowers Indigenous youth to be unstoppable in sport and in life. Their programs are developed in co-creation with Indigenous communities for self-determination in health, sport, and play. As part of a long-term partnership, we support Spirit North with funding and gear donations.

## Our continued commitments
MEC's journey towards Truth and Reconciliation continues. As part of our [Outdoor Impact program](/en/explore/outdoor-impact), we’re committed to increasing equitable access to the outdoors through community programming, funding and gear donations. We also hold all our partners and collaborators accountable to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Truth and Reconciliation commitments.

For staffers, we continue to offer internal education, creating an educational hub to connect teams with relevant events and learning opportunities. While September 30 is not a nationwide statutory holiday, MEC was one of the first retailers to recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a paid day of reflection and action, or a day of paid work.

In stores, we have Land Acknowledgement installations in all existing and future MEC stores and we give this acknowledgment at the start of all large gatherings. This is to recognize and respect Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories.

For the products we offer members, we’ve implemented guidelines for our merchandise and design teams to avoid cultural appropriation when sourcing and designing new products.

We’re proud of the work that's already been done and recognize it’s an ongoing journey. We’ll continue to take action in addressing reconciliation across the business, and we are dedicated to creating change that supports a more equitable and inclusive future.

Our commitment and what we’re working on as an organization.

MEC’s journey towards Truth and Reconciliation

As summer winds down (and we get prepped for ski season events), it’s time to look back at all the amazing events we’ve had in the last few months. Have a peek at some of our favourites – we hope to see you at winter events coming up: 

### There’s No Place Like Camp 

To celebrate the camp season in July, we welcomed campers to events across the country in Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary. Big thanks to our friends at The WKNDRS, the [L.A. Foundation](/en/explore/la-foundation), MSR, Nemo and more. Everyone took part in camp clinics, gear tutorials, bingo games and s’mores stations (yum). 

*Photo: Kieren from the L.A. Foundation gave clinics on how to pack your pack and goal setting for the outdoors.*

### Out and About Pride 

This year, Pride was more important than ever. In partnership with Arc’teryx, we had a full weekend of Pride events across the country from June to August – everyone was welcome to come and celebrate their true colours. Local community groups and climbing partners joined the festivities, Vancouver-based artist Leah Day transformed the MEC twin peaks into an epic art installation, and we worked with four incredible artists across Canada to design one-of-a-kind The North Face Base Camp Duffles inspired the outdoors to raffle off. In total, we donated over $5400 to five different 2LGBTQIA+ outdoor communities across Canada – amazing.  

*Photo: MEC members across the country left special “love letters” on the art installations by Leah Day.*

### Learn-to Camp with Parks Canada 

From June to September, MEC teamed up with [Parks Canada](/en/explore/parks-canada) at their annual Learn-to Camp overnight events across the country. MEC members joined us for in-store workshops led by Parks Canada, where they learned basic camping skills and safety in the wilderness. 

*Photo: Learn-to Camp attendees found out how to use a camp stove, set up a tent, light a campfire and more.*

### Moncton Grand Opening 

A huge one! We celebrated the opening of our newest Maritimes-based store in [Moncton](/en/stores/moncton), New Brunswick. Climb clinics were hosted, local musicians played some tunes, prizes were won and delicious coffee was sipped. New friends lined up down the sidewalk (even in the rain!) to get in on the action – over 5500 Monctonians paid us a visit over the three days of the grand opening event. 

*Photo: Moncton members had a blast at the grand openings with live music, gift bags and tasty trail mix at the new store.* 

### International Trails Day 

On June 3, we celebrated International Trails Day – an annual celebration of trails, trail development and the active lifestyle they encourage. On the West Coast, we met up with MEC Outdoor Impact partner [North Shore Mountain Bike Association](/en/explore/north-shore-mountain-bike-association) for a day of trail building and maintenance.  

Want to join us for a Trail Day? [Learn more](https://nsmba.ca/attending-a-trail-day/) about what to expect and sign up for the next event.  

*Photo: Our amazing team helped maintain the Expresso Trail at Mount Fromme for future bikers.*

### Trail Party with Hike MTL 

In Montreal, we joined MEC Outdoor Impact partner Hike MTL for their annual Trail Party. This event is an opportunity for BIPOC of all ages to learn about camp life in a safe environment while highlighting a sense of belonging. MEC staffers joined the event with games, hike workshops and prizes to celebrate the end of the summer season. 

*Photo: The Hike MTL crew met up in Saint-Hippolyte for a day of epic outdoor workshops.*

A major thank you to the incredible organizations who helped make these events a reality, and thanks to everyone who came out and had a blast with us. Here’s to another great summer in 2024! 

Stay tuned for more events as we launch into our celebrations of all things winter soon, with the return of the annual MEC x POW Season Opener (tickets go on sale October 5). 

Camp workshops, Pride, a new store and so much more. 

Everything We Did For Summer 2023

Everything we did for summer 2023

*One of our favourite parts of ski season? All the ski films that kick it off. MEC is proud to announce the world premiere of* People Like Us, *a short film that explores queer identity in mountain towns and the snowsports world by filmmaker Ryan Collins.*

*Check out the trailer, film screening dates, and a behind the scenes look about the creation of this film.*

People Like Us | Trailer

## What inspired People Like Us?
**Ryan**: I’ve negotiated my sexuality and role in the outdoor sports industry, and the small towns I find myself in, for many years. I’ve often asked myself what it is about the adventure industry and its rural settings that make me, a gay man, so uncomfortable. Is it the activity or the space? What is it like for other queer people in the industry?

*Photo by Laura Szanto*

I’ve explored this discomfort in the past both professionally and academically. I have worked throughout the outdoor industry, from surf, to rock, to snow. While each industry holds up a select few queer professionals, overall members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ still feel out of place.

*Photo by Laura Szanto*

I’m making *People Like Us* for this community, whether they’re a pro or a newbie. This film is for people who live, work, and play, in rural outdoor settings. People who maybe need more than a gay Olympic athlete to feel welcome. I aim to share stories and experiences that paint an honest picture of queer life in rural spaces and hopefully allow for conversations on how both the outdoor community and municipal communities alike can create a more inclusive environment.

## Fall 2023 film screenings
Interested in hosting a screening of your own? Fill out this [screening request form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfhepY5gduRtI5g_S3FSGkyjT9lcMSjY-22fFinyy7L0HkSEA/viewform) to get started. Keep an eye out for more dates and locations being added to the list below:

- October 14: [World premiere at MEC Vancouver, BC](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/people-like-us-world-premiere-tickets-717992072617?aff=oddtdtcreator) 
- October 26: Portland, Oregon (details TBD)
- December 1: Revelstoke, BC presented by MEC and Arts Revelstoke (details TBD)

*MEC supported People Like Us with funding and gear donations. Additional support for the film came from Mountain Hardwear and Story Hive.*

A short film that explores queer identify in mountain towns and the snowsports world.

Film premiere: People Like Us

Picture this: crisp air, clear skies, perfect friction on rock. If you love to climb, you're in for a treat this month. “Fall is prime season for climbers,” says MEC Ambassador [Emma Contaoe](/en/explore/emma-contaoe). “Most of us train all summer so that we get to send our projects in the fall when climbing conditions are ideal.”

Let's dive into a few reasons why September (a.k.a. Sendtember) is the best time of year for rock climbing. Plus, some top gear picks for this season.

## 1. Milder weather
Bid farewell to the scorching sun. September’s cooler temps creating an inviting atmosphere at crags across the country. Without the intense heat of summer, you can focus more on the climb and less on battling sweat. Just-right temperatures makes crushing projects truly enjoyable.

## 2. Strong and in the flow
When working on your strength for climbing, it’s important to start slow or risk injury (like a finger pulley injury), which can take a long time to recover. More often than not, September is when you hit your strongest climbing strength and feel the most confident in terms of the mental strength required for lead climbing. This combination will set you up for being ready to tackle your hardest projects.

> “I'm kicking off fall by hosting climbing clinics and a retreat, then heading to Spain and Portugal for a climbing trip. I’m excited to come back to Quebec to try projects I started in spring, and hopefully send them!” – MEC Ambassador Emma Contaoe

## 3. Less crowded crags
There’s nothing worse than getting to the route you’ve been planning to climb only to see four groups ahead of you waiting to go. With schools back in session and summer vacations ending, climbing destinations tend to be less crowded. This means more time spent climbing and less time waiting.

> “Most of the crags near me become less busy after the summer rush. On a smaller note, when the trees change colours it's quite majestic.” – MEC Ambassador [Sean McColl](/en/explore/sean-mccoll)

## 4. Optimal friction
Gripping holds and finding secure foot placements are the essence of climbing. September's cooler temperatures translate to better friction on rock surfaces. In simple terms, this means your hands and climbing shoes will find better purchase on the rock, which can give you the confidence to tackle more challenging routes.


## 5. Less buggy
Climbing’s all about focus, determination and flow. An unexpected insect buzzing around can throw you off balance and break that flow. Fortunately, September sees a decrease in insect activity compared to warmer months. This means you can focus on your climb without swatting at mosquitoes or other buzzing distractions during crux moves.

> “For fall comps, my focus is the PanAmerican championships in October. If I win, I'll punch my ticket to the Olympic Games in 2024. Outdoors, Squamish conditions will be prime and I'll be looking for my next project.” – MEC Ambassador Sean McColl

## Best gear for fall climbing
“It’s all about layering,” says Emma. “The [MEC Rockwall Midlayer](/en/product/6011-749/rockwall-midlayer) is comfortable and warm, yet breathable and flexible, so I can move easily on the rock. For an insulated jacket, the [MEC Northern Light Hoodie](/en/product/6016-911/northern-light-hoodie) is great to throw while belaying but light enough to climb with too.” 

“For fall layers, I’m excited to put on my [MEC Northern Light Hoodie](/en/product/6016-910/northern-light-hoodie),” says Sean. “There’s nothing better than feeling warm between attempts before taking it off for the send.”

Gear up, pack your chalk bag, and get after it. Next up: Rocktober.

Let's dive into a few reasons why September (a.k.a. Sendtember) is the best time of year for rock climbing.

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