Sanctuary
Freezer Burn Sanctuary knows that it is important to create safe and supportive spaces for people to explore their emotions and experiences, particularly during times of crisis or difficult journeys. We feel it is also important to remember that we are all interconnected, and demonstrating a shared responsibility to look out for and take care of each other can have a positive impact on both individuals and communities as a whole.
What we do
Sanctuary is a non-judgemental safe space that is crucial for providing support to individuals who may be feeling overwhelmed or vulnerable, especially in a festival environment where there can be heightened emotions and sensory experiences. Freezer Burn Sanctuary is intentionally creating a space that is welcoming to anyone who needs it, regardless of the reason.
We feel that providing a safe place to land during times of crisis can also be essential for mitigating the risks that come with festival environments. With compassionate support and sober supervision, individuals can receive the care and attention they need to prevent emotional or physical trauma from occurring. It's important to acknowledge and address the potential risks associated with these environments and to prioritize the safety and well-being of our event participants.
Providing support and guidance in the process of self-discovery can also be incredibly valuable, and can help people navigate difficult experiences and emerge stronger and more resilient. Creating a safe and welcoming environment where people feel comfortable to share their experiences and emotions can be transformative, and can help build connections and relationships based on empathy, compassion, and understanding.
Our Sanctuary team prioritizes the well-being and support of individuals and communities, particularly during these times of challenge and crisis.
Our Freezer Burn Sanctuary team tries to serve as an example of how intentional and compassionate support can make a significant impact on the experiences of individuals at our event, and how creating safe spaces can contribute to a more positive and fulfilling overall experience.
Team Dynamics
Our Sanctuary team typically has one lead (and sometimes one co-lead to act as a mentee). The lead organizes a small pool of shift leads that are individuals that have previous experiences in harm reduction or have previous Sanctuary training from our event or others. These shift leads work specifically with their dedicated team of scheduled volunteers. Our entire volunteer team is made of caring and compassionate volunteers who have consideration for the well being of their peers, and may have a background or interest in harm reduction. Freezer Burn Sanctuary offers at least one training event in both cities prior to the event.
Number of Volunteers
minimum 30, maximum 40
Shift Length
6 hours volunteers, 12 hours shift leads.
Pre-Event Tasks
- Monitor the dedicated email (Leads)
- Join and utilize the Production Communication Platform, example: Slack (Leads)
- Provide Sanctuary in person training, in both Edmonton and Calgary (Leads)
- Communications with all team members (Leads)
- Create schedules (Leads)
- Ensure all scheduled shift leads have the appropriate training (Leads)
- Early Entry - take all soft good items to the laundromat in Ponoka
Event Tasks
- Provide compassionate care to all participants utilizing the Sanctuary space
- Work alongside each other to improve harm reduction skills (Leads & Volunteers)
- Respond to emergent issues as needed (Leads & Volunteers)
- Record and file any and all visitor experiences in the “Incident report” binder located at First Response (Shift Leads)
Post-Event Tasks
- Exodus day: Remove and take all soft good items to the laundromat in Ponoka (Leads)
- Write an AfterBurn report (Leads)
Recommended Training
Freezer Burn Sanctuary training (Provided)
Harm Reduction, Bystander Intervention (Recommended)