McKay and Louchhead, who were later to receive national recognition as members
of the REGINA FIVE group
of painters, saw the
potential of the Emma Lake site and its facilities to offer summer workshops for practising artists as a means
of breaking from the artistic
isolation they
felt in Regina, where both taught at the School
of Art.
There are many
potential benefits
of these interventions for the women and their children such as increasing empowerment, decreasing
feelings of isolation, developing interpersonal skills, increasing coping strategies and gaining knowledge
of resources.