There were three Tri-Buddies competing at the Dunrobin Kids of Steele Event at the Bonnenfant YMCA-YWCA Outdoor Education and Leadership Centre Sunday August 29^th 

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Twelve of our fearless matches went into the deep, dark of Laflèche Caves on Saturday July 16^th. Click below to read more about our adventures and see some photos from the day.

Throughout my experiences talking with people about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa, I get the sense that whenever people think of a Big Brother or a Big Sister, they get a certain mental picture of what a "Big" would be like.  The usual picture seems to be a young adult who is very energetic and sporty and has a ton of experience with youth.  Well, variety is the spice of life and we have no shortage of that here.  It just so happens that, here at Big Brothers Big Sisters Ottawa, we have dedicated and fantastic volunteers who are varying combinations of all of the qualities listed above and more. 

In fact, I remember quite fondly a story I was told from the mother of one "Little" who used to be involved in our programs.  At the graduation/closure meeting for this match, the mom let me know that she and her child were not too sure about being matched with their Big at first.  Mom explained to me that the Big was older and she was worried that he would have nothing in common with her son (especially their energy level).  Mom said that the Big seemed nice and they did not want to miss an opportunity so they accepted anyway...

"What do other matches do for fun?"  This is one of the questions I get asked the most by volunteers struggling to find new activity ideas for themselves and their Littles.  In truth, I don't envy these volunteers.  This has to be one of the hardest parts about being a Big.  I'm sure many of us out there can relate to the difficulty of finding new and exciting activities for teens that don't break any rules.  So how do you find these activity ideas?  Well, I am happy to report that I discovered the secret to solving this puzzle one day while talking to a match that has been doing it for eight years.  As it turns out, the answer is right under our noses...

(Ecrit par notre étudiante en stage, Traci Spour)

Certains individus considèrent le mercredi comme une journée ennuyant puisque ce n'est ni le début, ni le fin de la semaine. Ce n'est pas le cas pour moi, une étudiante en stage au Grands Frères Grandes Sœurs d'Ottawa. C'est une journée remplit de sourire, de souvenir et d'activités amusants ! Voici mon histoire comme Grande Sœur pour le programme de mentorat scolaire.

In light of our not-so distant office relocation, I thought that a blog on change would be very fitting.  So, here goes...

I'm sure we can all relate to the fact that as time goes on, things around us change.  Even though none of us wants to admit it, we ourselves change too.  Well I've come to realize that the same is true for matches. 

While change can sometimes be difficult, it can also be wonderful.  I was recently privileged enough to hear this touching story from one of my longer standing matches about the ways in which their match has changed over the years...

We are pleased to introduce you to Cedric, a Little Brother with some skills on the ice.