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Alberta had its share of Aboriginal sporting events or moments that made headlines in 2010. Also included below is the innovative approach the Whitefish Lake First Nation is taking to ensure its members can have sports as part of their lives. All selections are subjective.
Olympic torch relay
Five Aboriginal communities in Alberta were among those included in the cross-country Olympic Torch Relay leading up to the 2010 Winter Olympics in B.C. The torch passed through the communities of Enoch, Hobbema, Kainai, Siksika and Stoney Nation. In total, 130 Aboriginal communities hosted the torch during its 106-day, 45,000-kilometre journey. The relay began in October of 2009 and ended with the opening of the Olympics in February. About 300 Aboriginal youth and Elders participated in the torch relay as torchbearers, youth flame attendants or honourary Elder fire keepers. A total of 12,000 torchbearers took part in the relay.
Arctic Winter Games
The Olympics and Paralympics were not the only successful multi-sport games held in western Canada last winter. Another event that received rave reviews was the Arctic Winter Games, which ran Mar. 6-13 in Grande Prairie. About 2,000 athletes, competing in 21 sports, congregated in the city. The participants represented nine regions from the circumpolar north. The Alberta North squad placed second in the over-all team standings winning a total of 145 medals. Alaska placed first capturing 251 medals. The other teams competing in Grande Prairie were Northwest Territories, Yukon, Russia’s Yamal-Nenets, Greenland, Nunavut, Nunavik from Quebec, and Saami, which was comprised of athletes from the Scandinavian countries. The eyes of the world were on Grande Prairie for a week as about 150 media members, including several from overseas, showed up to cover the games.
Goodfish Lake Recreation Centre
Officials from the Whitefish Lake First Nation generated attention with the announcement they were planning to build the country’s greenest recreation centre. The $9.9 million facility is called the Goodfish Lake Recreation Centre. The Whitefish Lake First Nation, located 220 kilometres northeast of Edmonton, has had to get by without an arena since 2005 when the old one burned down. This new facility is dubbed the greenest in the country as the plan is to use geo-thermal heat, which will reduce heating costs by tens of thousands of dollars compared to the cost of heating a conventional arena. Since less energy will be required for heating, the facility will emit lower greenhouse gas carbon dioxide emissions. Some believe the domed arena would be the first of many to sprout up across the country.
North American Indigenous Games
The cancellation of a major Aboriginal sporting event also made its share of headlines this year and affected hundreds of Alberta athletes. The 2011 North American Indigenous Games were originally scheduled for Milwaukee this coming July. But officials from that city announced in June 2010 that they were withdrawing as hosts. There was hope another city would step up and take over the games, but when that didn’t happen, NAIG was cancelled for 2011. Now, to take the place of those NAIG held every three years, the plan is to stage various North American Indigenous sport championships in 2012. Cities are being invited to submit bids to host the 15 sport championships (representing the 15 sports that are contested during the NAIG). It remains to be seen whether any Alberta city will submit a bid to host one of the 2012 proposed championships. Chief Wilton Littlechild is one of the founders of NAIG. Edmonton hosted the first NAIG in 1990.
Indigenous Youth Gathering
There’s no denying there were plenty of Aboriginal connections to the 2010 Winter Olympics that were staged primarily in Vancouver this past February. Aboriginal ties were frequently mentioned during the location of the Games, the opening and closing ceremonies and even with the design of the medals awarded. Games’ organizers went out of their way to make all Aboriginals feel included in many other ways. One of these was the Indigenous Youth Gathering staged in Vancouver for the two weeks leading up to the Games. The gathering included 300 Métis, First Nations and Inuit individuals from across the country. The participants, including Matt Belhumeur-Reid from the Buffalo Lake First Nations, had the responsibility of educating others about their heritage and culture. Participants were also able to listen to and meet various guest speakers, including athletes and Aboriginal role models.
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