Hull’s Staff Retreat Ignites Connection, Growth, and Wellbeing

This year, for the very first time, Hull Services — thanks to a generous sponsorship from CES Energy Solutions — hosted our inaugural Staff Development Retreat. The two-day event took place at Camp Chief Hector in beautiful Kananaskis Country.

The retreat was an incredible learning experience and opportunity which blended professional and personal growth, as well as wellness and moments of inspiration. It was designed to celebrate the tireless efforts and hard work of our direct care employees across the Agency, while also providing opportunities to enrich their skills, foster meaningful connections, and recharge in a rejuvenating natural environment. 

Employees had the opportunity to experience the powerful storytelling of keynote speaker Mackenzie Brown — an Indigenous singer, drummer, storyteller, knowledge seeker, songwriter, artists and Cree cultural ambassador. 

Engaging and innovative learning opportunities were also delivered by Joel Pippus with Push to Heal, Vaden Somers of Subnivean Farms, and Peter Daniels, who led Indigenous games. 

To further focus on wellness of Hull’s direct care employees, they recharged their minds and bodies with activities such as horseback riding, completing a challenging high ropes course, canoeing, and art. 

We spoke with a few attendees to get their thoughts on how it went, their key highlights, and what they took from it.

“I enjoyed Mackenzie’s talk. Her performance was beautiful and being able to hear her stories and ask questions was an amazing experience – any exposure to Indigenous teachings is always interesting to learn about,” says Zoe Grosskleg, a Hull Services employee.  

Zoe also enjoyed the group activities (canoeing, horses, Indigenous games) that fostered connection. “It allowed me to hone my relationship skills. I left the retreat feeling more connected to my work colleagues across the Agency as well as my team members from my program.” 

When asked about a key takeaway, Zoe emphasized the value of connecting with others and nature, and how the experience will benefit the youth she supports.

“The importance of working together and finding things you enjoy doing that recharge the soul is good and being able to learn it yourself and have an opportunity to share that with the youth and families we work is valuable. I also believe that learning more about Indigenous teachings and practices is beneficial as we work with many Indigenous youths.” 

Katie Woolley, a member of the Learning and Development team that planned and coordinated the retreat, reflected on the experience: 

“It was an honour to plan and implement Hull’s first Staff Development Retreat, created specifically for our direct care staff,” she said. 

“This was a chance for staff to step away from daily routines to learn, connect, and feel inspired, which is something they truly deserved,” Woolley added.  

Woolley noted that the level of engagement during the learning sessions confirmed Hull’s belief in the value of professional development. “It was great seeing staff laughing, engaging in meaningful conversations, and building relationships that otherwise may not have happened.” 

While the Agency was proud to support this initiative, it wouldn’t have been possible at this scale without the generous support of CES. We are deeply grateful for their contribution and excited to build on this success in the years to come.