WATCH THE FILM
On December 5, 2025, with the support of the Arc’teryx Montreal community team, Routes to Rootz screened the premiere of their new short film, from directors Alexa Fay and Nkosi Phanord.
Every February, Black History Month celebrates Black people, their culture and traditions, at a time when people of colour living in chilly locales, like Montreal, Quebec, can feel colder and more alienated than usual. Routes to Rootz aims to change that. All month, BLK WinterFest connects Black families to the joy of winter activities, while exposing the culture of winter sports to infusions of Black joy. With event planning for the 2026 event in full swing, we asked founder Jamillah Jean to share her motivation.
“BLK WinterFest is one month of winter activities, where every weekend we have a different activation. It’s us taking up space in winter and really celebrating winter sports.”
FOUNDED BY JAMILLAH JEAN
The roots of Routes to Rootz lay in pandemic social distancing. Meeting family outside on the city sidewalks inspired Jamillah to take things to Montreal’s hiking trails, where she noticed that the city’s diversity wasn’t reflected in its outdoor adventure spaces.
“Losing ourselves in nature was such a therapeutic outlet for our family, I wanted to share that. And I wanted my children to see more people that looked like them in the outdoors. They’re so happy and carefree when they’re hiking or snowboarding. They take up that space without hesitation. But eventually, they’ll get to the age where, like myself, they’ll notice the gap in representation and wonder, do I belong here? I didn’t want that to ever be a moment for them. I wanted to wave a magic wand and make that go away.”
A mother of two, and a social worker, Jamillah had an instinct to invite other families along so that these new hobbies would stick for her family. And she wanted to share the love and benefits of time in nature.
“My introduction to the outdoors was through the lens of social work. I was a 20-year-old educator at a rehab centre and I was the staff member who would bring the kids hiking. They would hate it. But they’d come back to the unit more emotionally regulated and better able to problem-solve.”
Her invitations to come play seeded a movement—first under the banner of HIKE MTL, and then, as the fun expanded into four seasons, as Routes to Rootz.
“I opened an Instagram account and called out: ‘If anyone wants to join us on a hike, we’re doing this trail, this day, this time. Feel free to join. Leave me a message.’ That’s how it all started. One person joined our family for a hike. They ended up becoming one of our instructors.”
“Routes to Rootz is a shining manifestation of the West African saying «If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together.»”
— Routes to Rootz participant
IN THE PIPELINE
Beyond creating inviting spaces for casual and recreational involvement in outdoor activities—serving more than a thousand participants last year—Routes to Rootz is also building a pipeline for professional opportunities in the outdoor industry.
In the last three years, Routes to Rootz has supported the qualification of 20 new alpine ski, snowboard, and cross-country ski instructors of colour and five hiking guides.
“Our roots, for all of us, are in nature. We’re all missing that connection. Adulting takes over. The sense of responsibility is easy to get sucked into. I recommend a dose of the outdoors for anyone.” Jamillah Jean
Routes to Rootz is a Montreal-based non-profit that curates experiences and events, including BLK WinterFest, to bridge the gap between people of colour and outdoor well-being. Through the No Wasted Days Community Grant Program, Strategic Partnerships, and the work of our community teams, Arc’teryx supports organizations like Routes to Rootz that drive equitable access, knowledge and skills building in the mountains, and environmental stewardship of the lands we recreate upon. We hope this series of stories inspires you as much as these partners inspire us.
To learn more about BLK WinterFest, visit routestorootz.com
Photography:
Havella Photography @havellaphotography
Villedepluie @villedepluie
François Laplante-Anfossi @francoislaplanteanfossi
Montreal | Quebec Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk), Algonquin Anishinabeg and Wendak Territory
