There’s a quote that Jas carries with him: “Air is our teacher, water our father, and the great sacred earth is our mother.” Growing up in Delhi, those words were a spiritual concept. But moving to BC alone at 17 and navigating a new country, new climate, and new culture, those words turned into a lived reality.
When he first arrived in Prince George, he found his way to Foundry almost by accident. As Deanna Collins, Manager of Community Programs at YMCA recalls, Jaspreet arrived “quite literally on our doorstep as a bright and eager youth new to Canada and seeking community connection”.
It was there that a Youth Peer Support Worker asked him a simple question: how are you doing? For someone navigating a new world alone, that small gesture meant everything, and led to an invitation to join their community kitchen for a meal.
It didn’t take long for him to want to pay that forward. Upon learning about the programs and services offered through Foundry Prince George, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work as a volunteer with the Youth Around Prince program. That tenacity caught people’s attention. In 2023, Jas started working as a Peer Support Worker with Foundry and since then, has flourished into an invaluable member of their team.
That same year, however, he faced one of the most frightening moments of his life: a near-drowning experience.
Instead of letting that moment drive him away from the water for good, it became a turning point in his mental health journey. He made a decision not to retreat, and within eight months, not only learned how to swim, but went on to earning his National Lifeguard certification at just 19 years old.
Swimming became a tool for managing depression and anxiety; it gave him a community of fellow swimmers who offered the human connection he had been missing and restored a childhood sense of adventure. Since then, Jas has swum in 12 lakes across BC, and his love of the outdoors has expanded to downhill skiing, winter hiking, and skating, providing a holistic wellness routine that keeps him grounded through the demands of university life.
But Jaspreet’s relationship with the water was never just about himself. Knowing firsthand how transformative (and intimidating) learning to swim can be, he helped implement the Otter Swim Club at Foundry Prince George. Open to young people, caregivers, and support workers alike, the club is a fun, accessible space where anyone can learn to swim, challenge themselves, and find community under the guidance of a skilled coach. It is, in many ways, the community Jas once needed.
Deanna puts it best: “The care and connection that Jas is able to offer to the youth he supports speaks to his talent and ability to make impacts wherever he goes.”
That impact extends beyond the pool. As a Political Science student, Jas represents local environmental advocacy groups at Prince George City Hall, channeling his love of BC’s natural spaces into civic action. He is passionate about “responsible recreation”, ensuring that outdoor spaces are welcoming to newcomers and people of colour who may feel othered in those environments.
This spring, Jas was named the recipient of the 2026 Brent Seal Mind vs. Mountain Award – an honour created by the friends and family of Brent Seal, a mental health advocate and mountaineer who believed that “our biggest challenges are in fact our biggest opportunities.” The award will support Jas in pursuing advanced certifications, allowing him to transition from lifeguard to educator and help others face their fears of the water, just as he once did.
Jas’s journey is a testament to what becomes possible when courage meets community. Now, as a Peer Support Worker, he serves as a bridge between his community and nature, ensuring that “the water and earth remain a source of healing for all”.
Jaspreet received the Brent Seal Mind vs. Mountain Award at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival on March 6th, 2026.