The doors at Ranch Ehrlo’s group homes are always open to former residents.

Marie*, a former youth, recently moved back to Prince Albert. Marie spent five years at Ranch Ehrlo and was discharged three years ago. Now in Grade 10, she is attending school full-time in Prince Albert.

When Matheson House unit manager Nicole Connolly learned that Marie was back in town, she jumped at the chance to invite her to Matheson’s annual back-to-school celebrations – and Marie was just as eager to come.

“I hope to be around (Ranch Ehrlo) more,” Marie said. “I miss it – the support especially.”

Marie credits her time at Ranch Ehrlo with teaching her how to keep herself occupied, an essential skill she says, for keeping herself out of trouble.  For now, she’s just living day-by-day.

During her time at the Ranch, Marie’s favourite memories involved the camp trips and the horse program. Both programs brought out strengths in her.

During one camp trip, she recalled the group portaging (carrying a canoe over land) for 15 kilometers.

“Marie did fabulous,” said Nicole. “She knew all the canoe strokes, and she even did a mile and a half portage - carried a canoe overhead, by herself - the whole way.”

Marie smiled at the memory before launching into an explanation of how exactly to hold a canoe properly – where to place the canoe so the weight is evenly distributed across the shoulders of the person or persons carrying it.

Equine Assisted Learning instructor Amanda Snell chimed in with a glowing review of Marie’s horsemanship. For Marie, Buckland campus’ resident donkey, Jefferson, holds a special place in her bank of memories as well.

“I rode him once,” she said. “Well, I actually just got on his back and right off again.”

“I loved the horse program,” she added.

For youth just coming into Ranch Ehrlo’s programs, Marie has simple advice.

“Just listen to the staff,” she said. “I had a lot of support here.”

*name changed