Learning new skills and community involvement

The north shore of Lake Superior has some of the coldest weather conditions in the country. Winters can be especially tough and quite often one feels the need to just hibernate for awhile until it passes. Of course there are others who embrace the winter season and find creative ways to exist in the icy grip of it all. Kim Asmussen definitely falls into the latter group and Linda Williamson from the Schreiber Media Centre invited him on as a guest to her Community Connections program. A man of many talents, he is the quintessential testament to the fact that one is never too old to learn new things.

Kim was raised in Saskatchewan and after high school wanted to get his bachelor of commerce degree but instead went to study forestry in Thunder Bay. He met his future wife at that time and upon graduating entered the industry. Deciding that forestry was not what he really wanted to do, he went back to school to get his bachelor of education degree with the intent of becoming a teacher. Within a year after moving to Schreiber with his wife Brenda, he landed a teaching job. He would eventually become the principal of not only the public school in Schreiber, but held a position as principal in Terrace Bay public school as well as the Terrace Bay high school. Not being a person to shy away from work, it’s no surprise that he also found time to volunteer and upon retiring he would always find something to keep himself busy. A skilled woodworker, he was soon searching for new projects and chainsaw carving became one of his hobbies. He would then go onto to replace wood with blocks of ice and after reading a few articles on snowshoe art, would add that to his list of accomplishments as well.

For many people the impact of COVID has left many of us feeling rather demotivated and hesitant to try new things, when in reality it might just be the perfect time to embrace the changes. Having a positive outlook and looking for ways to challenge ones self can all lead to a better feeling of accomplishment. Not letting your situation discourage you from discovering new skills and growing as a person can be quite liberating as well. This can be especially true for seniors as they have to shift from old patterns and habits to finding new things that keep them active. When Kim discovered snowshoe art he realized the multiple benefits of his new hobby. There was the physical aspect and exercise derived from all that walking, but as well there was a huge social benefit to getting others involved in the creation of his works of art. Being a former teacher he soon realized the benefits to students struggling with math and science and has gone to schools to help students rethink problems and focus on using new skills and encouraging volunteerism in their municipalities. Learning to adapt to what life throws at us is a valuable lesson we can all learn.