Did you know: Walking a labyrinth has been proven to help children living with a cognitive deficit such as ADD or ADHD to significantly improve their behaviour over time? This is just one of the many benefits of a labyrinth, which we learned thanks to The Blue Mountain Women of 12, an impressive group of women in the Blue Mountains who have come together to make the Cedar Grove Labyrinth of Thornbury a reality.
While we never would have thought of a Labyrinth as anything more than a decorative ‘nice-to-have’, there are apparently many benefits and modern day uses to Labyrinths, which have been around for more than 3,000 years. Some of their uses include: in hospitals, to relieve stress and aid in rehabilitation, staff, recovering patients and their visitors walk labyrinths. Community groups and retreat centres use labyrinths for meditation, reflection, and exercise. School labyrinths can serve as an activity zone for students. They can stimulate creative thinking and problem solving, and act as a tool for conflict resolution.
The site is located off the Georgian Trail behind Pipers Sports Bar & Grill nestled among the cedars on what was formerly the Bayview Park Campground. The 55 foot diameter labyrinth is intended to be a space that is welcoming, aesthetically pleasing to the eye and brings community together naturally. Universal design has been incorporated, meaning the Labyrinth is accommodating to wheelchair users, persons who use walkers and families with strollers. It is also entirely free of charge!
The estimated completion date for the project is Spring 2014.
According to the group’s Vice-Chair Catherine Smart, these like-minded women came together specifically for this project, and are actively seeking support for the project – their target is to raise $35,000 to fully fund the first phase of the Cedar Grove Labyrinth, which includes construction of the labyrinth itself (Phase 2 will add additional landscaping elements, signage entry structure, etc.). The group has raised $17,000 to-date but needs further support (monetary and in-kind donations welcome) from sponsors and the community to complete the project.
We live, work and play in The Blue Mountains, and are always thrilled to learn of new initiatives, businesses and services that make our community a better place to live and visit. The Cedar Grove Labyrinth would definitely do just that, and we are proud that our brokerage, Royal LePage Locations North, is a sponsor of this worthy project.
If you’d like to learn more about The Cedar Grove Labyrinth and/or lend your support please visit http://www.thornburylabyrinth.com.