Pinehouse Photography Club Explained

The Pinehouse Photography Club is a therapeutic photography club in the northern community of Pinehouse, Saskatchewan, Canada. The club uses photography to engage area youth experiencing mental health issues.^{[1] [2]}

History

The club was founded in 2016 by Dre Erwin, a Pinehouse primary care nurse who sought alternative treatment methods for local youth who were experiencing mental health issues.^{[3] [4] [5]} The club achieved notoriety in Canada following a 2018 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation documentary titled New Lens on Life.^{[6] [7]} Additional media coverage resulted in donations of cash and equipment to the club from donors across Canada.^[8] Summarizing the club's method, in 2018 Saskatchewan's Advocate for Children and Youth wrote that "Pinehouse Lake youth have indicated that photography is a healthy outlet that helps with feeling lost or depressed. Looking at the beauty of nature through the camera lens generates appreciation for what they have, instead of focusing on the negative."^[9]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Sask. Photography club captures beauty while counteracting trauma.
2. Web site: Transforming lives one picture at a time.
3. Web site: Photography club helps troubled youth find focus. paNOW. Maxwell. Nigel. 14 June 2019.
4. Web site: Photography club inspires youth in northern Saskatchewan.
5. Web site: Saskatchewan Polytechnic - Alumnus uses photography to transform lives in Northern Saskatchewan.
6. Web site: CBC Saskatchewan, CBC Saskatoon receive a combined 10 RTDNA Awards | CBC News.
7. Web site: Photography club in northern Sask. Gets photos picked up by Kids Help Phone.
8. Web site: Outpouring of support for Saskatchewan photography club after Global News story.
9. Web site: Annual Report 2018 . saskadvocate.ca . Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth . 17 October 2019.