When parent and avid climber Bill Palmer heard that a local tennis club was looking to donate its climbing wall, he mentioned it to the school’s administration and the English Montreal School Board. He says he believes that climbing fosters self-esteem and can boost self-confidence.

“Not every child is into traditional team sports,” he says. “[Climbing] is non-competitive, which relieves the kids of team pressure.”

Climbing is as much of a physical sport as it is a mental one and that’s where it gets interesting for kids, Palmer explains. “Strategy and problem solving skills become essential in overcoming the sequencing of difficult moves on the wall. Thinking outside the box is necessary.”

Palmer says climbing is a lifelong activity that students can carry with them as they get older; it’s not just a sport that can be done in their youth. He hopes it will encourage healthy lifestyle choices in the long term.

The wall will be used in physical education classes as well as for extracurricular activities. Royal Vale has also recently added music, drama and sports concentrations and an Elite Hockey Program.

For more information, visit emsb.qc.ca/royalvale.