Crystal Watson

Executive Director, Recreation Nova Scotia

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First, I am a Mom to a young adult daughter. Secondly, I am currently the Executive Director for Recreation Nova Scotia, a not-for-profit organization with a provincial mandate of being the voice of those that provide recreation services and programs to Nova Scotians. Additionally, I am a doctoral candidate at Dalhousie University in the PhD in Health program exploring generally the outdoor play experiences of African Nova Scotian girls!

I am a recreation professional and I am very proud of it. I entered the field because I was searching for things to do with the individuals that I was working with in a supported, community-based home. Opportunities were few for individuals with disabilities at that time and the environments certainly were not accessible physical or socially. In the end, I was mentored in the field by fantastic individuals that encouraged me to obtain a degree in recreation and I worked for 10 years as a recreation therapist, taught for another 10 years at both university and college and now I am the ED for RNS. It feels like full circle, however I believe that there is so much to do to ensure that folks working in our field are supported, respected, and valued by their employers and the community at large for what they do to enhance individual and community wellbeing. The work of recreation professionals is too often taken for granted and I am hoping to see that change during my time at RNS.

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What are you most proud of professionally? And who or why?

Professionally, what I am most proud of is the opportunity to work with and learn from so many people from various backgrounds. I have learned so much about people as a recreation professional, a Recreation Therapist specifically, that is not often afforded to many. Plato once said that you learn a lot about a person in an hour of play than in a lifetime of conversation. It is humbling to be a recreation professional and to have enjoyed those moments of play with so many folks. Those moments will stay with me forever.

What’s your vision for Atlantic Canada in 10 years? What’s our biggest opportunity now?

In 10 years, I would like Atlantic Canada to be the healthiest place in Canada. We can achieve this by investing in opportunities for people to live healthy active lives and ensuring they have the fuel and other resources to do so. That includes investing in our built and natural environments so folks can have barrier free access to recreation and leisure opportunities.

What was your greatest stage of growth? What made it a shift for you?

Motherhood has been my greatest stage for growth. I became a mother in my early twenties. I was single and even though I was in university at the time, I had to learn to do a lot of things very quickly. The experience of becoming a mother taught me a lot about how to deal with challenging situations, like conflict. It taught me more about community and knowing how to ask for and accept help - though I am still challenged by that today. This is all because I learned how to be independent and face difficulties head on, even when you think you are not able to handle something - persevere and persist and it will happen. 

What’s your favourite or most read book or podcast? Now or at each of your greatest stages of growth?

I have read many books over the years so I really can’t say that I have a favourite that has impacted my life in any way. I enjoy hearing the stories of everyday people, more. As for podcasts, because I am a deep thinker, I am enjoying listening to Tim Merry and Tuesday Ryan-Hart’s podcast called Find the Outside. They are big thinkers leading big system change work and they inspire me to think differently, to think more boldly.

What’s your deepest learning from this past year? How did/will you apply it?

Deepest learning from this year is actually quite personal so I won’t get it to it too deeply and stems from my personal engagement with work happening in the recreation sector related to reconciliation. There is much emotion there for me and it is not related to not knowing or understanding the experiences of Indigenous People in Canada. It is more related to the lack of acknowledgement of when it comes to systemic racism and it horrific impacts for generations for so many people including People of African descent. I am working on this. 

Who’s inspired you, directly or indirectly? How have they inspired you?

I am inspired most often by people who have struggled and succeeded. Because of them, I know I can. I know it is vague but to name someone would be to leave someone out. 

What would you have done differently?

There is nothing that I have done up to this point in my life that I would really have done differently. I learn something new everyday whether I like the outcome or not. If you wake up everyday regretting something that you wish you did differently, you wouldn’t be able to use the learnings to create something better.

What are the principles you live by?

The greatest principle that I live by is compassion. In a world where it is so easy to hate or hurt others, I hope that the people I encounter know that they are important to me and that I believe they were made for a purpose. I hope to honour that by recognizing that each one of us has a story that deserves to be heard.

How have you recovered from fractured professional relationships? What uncomfortable truths have you learned about yourself in those experiences?

I have worked really hard to demonstrate respect to my work colleagues in all of the positions that I have held. I am learning to trust more and exploring new ways to challenge the status quo. 

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Recreation Professional, Educator, Facilitator, Mentor, Mother, Sister, Friend