The Bridge wellness hub unveils new Indigenous art installations and spiritual space – Sherwood Park News

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The Bridge Wellness Hub for Youth in Fort Saskatchewan unveiled new art installations and a dedicated space for spiritual reflection and cultural healing.

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Indigenous artists Ellie Lagrandeur and Stacey Shearing, who created the art that adorns the new spiritual space, inaugurated and blessed the area with a smudging ceremony, using sage and sweetgrass. Legrandeur emphasized the strength and importance of the community during the ceremony.

“Sweetgrass is known as the first plant and as Mother Earth’s hair,” explained Lagrandeur. “I think it’s so important to have this community. It’s like the strand of sweetgrass, it’s pretty strong stuff but when it stands alone it can be broken. Sure you can be strong, but if you’re pulled in different directions you can be broken. Yet when it’s together in a braid, like the community, it is so much stronger. So I think it’s important that everybody is together here. You are not alone. I think if we all practice love, kindness and honesty, we will all stand stronger together, which is what this space is all about.”

Legrandeur explained that the burning sage removes any negative energy, and the sweetgrass welcomes positive energy into the space.

As all things at The Bridge, the idea for the new Indigenous spiritual space was thought up by the youth themselves.

“So it was really grassroots the way it came together,” explained Sharie Valentine, Manager of The Bridge. “We had a youth meeting and the youth indicated that they wanted to have an Indigenous spiritual space. From there we reached out to Ellie and Stacey who are local and everything came together and everyone was really excited about it. It’s important to have a space like this to show inclusiveness and to work towards truth and reconciliation.”

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Fort Saskatchewan Mayor Gale Katchur, who attended the unveiling and ceremony, echoed the significance of the new spiritual space.

“I think having the Indigenous space at the Bridge Wellness Hub will just add to our community and encourage people to come in and embrace it. Today is very special having Ellie Lagrandeur come to do a smudging and to speak to what it represents for our community. The Bridge Wellness hub is just amazing and I encourage all youth to come out and experience it. I’m just so impressed with the space and I’m so thankful we have it in our community.”

Ellie Lagrandeur and Stacey Shearing, who provided the Indigenous art for The Bridge, are resident artists at Dream Catchers Gift & Art Gallery in downtown Fort Saskatchewan. At their shop you can find original art work, art prints, local stone and wood carvings, jewellery, dream catchers, as well as anything Indigenous. Ellie and Stacey are regularly in-shop creating and painting.

The Bridge is a wellness hub for youth between the ages of 11 – 24 years old. It provides various health and wellness services for youth including counselling and support groups/programs. The Bridge helps to ease the transition between youth and mental health support by providing access to the health services young people need, as well as an open space to hang out with friends and make new connections. It is an inclusive space for all youth to access whether they are utilizing support services or not.

Some of their services include: Drop-In Counselling Services, Addictions Counselling, altView Peer Support (LGBTQ2+), Rainbow Alliance Group, Indigenous Support, Inclusive Spaces, Computer Lab, Relaxation Room, Kitchen with Community Pantry, Coffee Nook, Creative Art Space and Wi-Fi. Their drop-in, free space area is separate from the support services of the centre, allowing youth to feel comfortable in whichever space they choose.

You can find out more at facebook.com/TheBridgeWHY.

jbonnell@postmedia.com