Michelle Tanguay, Parkside Daycare: Community Reconnection via CNOY

By Eagles Nest  |  October 15th

For Michelle Tanguay and her team at Parkside Daycare, participating in the Coldest Night of the Year in Waterdown was more than just a walk — it was a way to reconnect with the community. 2025 marked their first time joining the event, but their enthusiasm and impact were undeniable. 

"We heard about it from our assistant supervisor, Mel. Since the pandemic, we've been trying to branch out and do more community events.” Michelle shares. “So, Mel came to me and asked if we could set up a team for our school, and we signed up right away," she added. 

The team quickly rallied together and embraced the event, forming a small but dedicated group. The positive energy and support they received made the experience even more special. 

"We really enjoyed it. We had a smaller team for this event, but our families rallied and got a great amount of support for us... The encouragement along the way was really fun. Every time we did a loop, the cheering was great. We had a really nice time with it," Michelle says.  

For Michelle, supporting Eagles Nest’s mission of providing affordable mental health services is deeply meaningful. "I feel like at this point... everybody knows somebody who has either struggled with it [mental health] or overcoming it or managing it in healthy, positive ways. So, if we could help support more people get to that point, why not participate in something like that?” Michelle shared. “We're a team here of 19 women. So, you know, we've had our own struggles within our team, so to be able to offer support and show that visibility and that connection in the community, we found that to be incredibly valuable," she added. 

Reflecting on their first CNOY experience, Michelle is already looking ahead. "We had a wonderful time with it. We look forward to doing it again next year."