By Matthew Liebenberg
Southwest Booster
A literacy activity in Swift Current gives children an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors during a walk in a local park and read a story along the way.
The official opening of the permanent story trail was celebrated during a ceremony in Kiwanis Park, Sept. 11.
The event took place only days after the celebration of International Literacy Day on Sept. 8 and the City of Swift Current proclaimed Sept. 7-13 as International Literacy Week.
Karissa Rolheiser, an early years community program designer and member of the Southwest Literacy Committee, spoke about the vision guiding the project.
“Every step is a chance to learn and every story is an invitation to grow,” she said. “As a committee, we believe that learning can happen anywhere and the story trail creates opportunities for literacy, discovery, and connection during something as simple as a walk along a pathway.”
The project combines outdoor physical activity with early childhood literacy by placing laminated, sequential pages of picture books in weatherproof display cases along the walking path in the park. It allows children and families to read stories step-by-step as they walk.
The creation and installation of the permanent story trail relied on community partnerships and municipal support. Innovation Federal Credit Union provided a foundational $10,000 sponsorship to finance the project’s infrastructure.
Tyler Weston, vice-president of small business with Innovation Federal Credit Union, highlighted the organization’s commitment to youth development and local investment.
“As a financial cooperative, giving back to our communities is a key part of what we do, and something like this is just another example of how partnering serves our community,” he said. “Initiatives like this are critical, just giving back to the community, strengthening the knowledge of our youth, and in turn supporting the future.”
The City of Swift Current installed the permanent mounting posts in Kiwanis Park and will provide ongoing maintenance support. Rollheiser recalled the committee’s initial proposal meeting with municipal officials.
“We walked into our initial meeting prepared to really sell our idea, but we were greeted with a map of the city and a simple question ‘Where do you want it?’,” she said. “That enthusiastic support thrilled us and helped us take the first step toward making this vision a reality.”
Swift Current Mayor Al Bridal delivered remarks during the ceremony. He emphasized the benefits of merging outdoor recreation with shared family reading.
“We are opening a place where stories, learning, physical activity, and family connections come together,” he said. “The story trail is a wonderful example of how literacy can be woven into everyday life.”
He noted that research demonstrates how reading together fosters language development, builds early vocabulary, improves listening skills, and prepares children for formal schooling. He added that the park setting fosters intergenerational bonding between young children and caregivers, parents or grandparents.
“International Literacy Day reminds us that literacy is a fundamental human right and a foundation for opportunity and lifelong success,” he said. “When our children develop strong reading skills, they gain confidence, curiosity and opportunities that will serve them in adulthood and beyond.”
Saskatchewan Minister of Education and Swift Current MLA Everett Hindley spoke in support of provincial early literacy goals and local community partnerships.
“Literacy starts well before the classroom,” he said. “It begins before kindergarten. It starts in the home with the family and I think that’s what the story trail project is about. Helping to encourage parents and family members to help their kids learn to read at such an early age.”
He is a member of the Swift Current Kiwanis board of directors. He recalled that it was an easy decision for the board to support the project’s location in Kiwanis Park.
“This is pretty impressive’” he noted. “I think it’s going to bring even more traffic to Kiwanis Park and help highlight the importance of literacy.”
Great Plains College Interim President and CEO Keleah Ostrander spoke about the cognitive and developmental advantages of early childhood reading interventions. She noted that exposure to literature in early life enhances social communication, emotional expression, and interactive skills, which directly translate into academic and workforce success later in life.
“At Great Plains College, we see the benefits of early adoption of these skills translating into adulthood and in turn improving students’ study skills, comprehension, and recall abilities, all skills that are necessary for success and active participation in society,” she said. “This particular project in a public outdoor space provides opportunities for families to have free, easy access to reading opportunities in a lovely setting.”
Rollheiser provided details during an interview after the ceremony about the logistical effort required to transform the story trail from a conceptual proposal into a year-round outdoor installation. A significant challenge involved sourcing weatherproof display cases to protect picture book pages against different weather conditions while maintaining clear visibility for young children.
Although the official grand opening occurred during International Literacy Week, the story trail has already been used since June. Some display stands along the path feature interactive prompts rather than story pages to encourage environmental observation and active dialogue between children and caregivers.
Committee members have established a routine for maintaining the cases. She noted that cleaning and swapping out stories now will take 30 minutes less than during initial installations.
The committee plans to rotate displayed books every four to six weeks to reflect seasonal shifts, major monthly themes or upcoming community events. Storybooks removed from the trail are placed into storage to be reused by schools for indoor story walks and it will also be made available to community groups to use on portable display stands.
Public engagement has been strong throughout the summer, with families participating in a social media photo contest on Facebook and grandparents sharing positive feedback about visiting the park with young relatives.
Rollheiser emphasized that the story trail can help to reshape how families perceive learning in their daily lives.
“Our goal overall is we want people to understand that learning is fun,” she said. “Learning can happen everywhere and it isn’t confined to a book in your hands in your home or at the library. Literacy and learning happen everywhere.”
