Yukon ski club inspires youth

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Cross-country skiing has been a big part of Gary Bailie's life for as long as he can remember. Ever since he started skiing in the territorial experimental ski program in Whitehorse with coach Father Jean-Marie Mouchet 36 years ago, Bailie has loved the sport and excelled at it. As a member of the Yukon Ski Team in the decade 1971-1981, Bailie won a gold medal for racing at the Arctic Winter Games. When he decided to pass on his love of skiing to the young people of his community he started the Kwanlin Koyotes Ski Club.

The idea first came to him when he began teaching his daughter and her friends how to cross-country ski.

"I just thought well, hey if I'm going to teach one kid, I might as well teach 20 or 30 or 40. So I started a number of years ago, just like in the bush preparing the trails, laying them out, and it took me a while before I got support from our community. Now that I do have support, even our chief skis here now and a lot of the parents are skiing so it's really catching on. And of course, since we have ski trails right in our area, I do all the trail maintenance as well and built a little cabin with the help of volunteers in our community, so it is a community-driven project. I have had some really good help, which has been great, because as far as I'm concerned, the more people that can be involved, the more benefit it has to our community," said 45-year-old Bailie, a member of the Kwanlin Dun First Nation.

Now in its third season, the Kwanlin Koyotes Ski Club has enjoyed tremendous success. Funded by Project Yukon and Lotteries Yukon, the club welcomes both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. Last year, 40 youth, ranging from six to 13 years of age, hit the slopes as Koyotes. With the help of his core volunteers who include assistant coaches Peter Steele and Yvonne Harris, Viola Papadquash who prepares nutritious food for the hungry skiiers, and Ron Pearson, Bailie is optimistic that the number of members will continue to climb.

Meeting four times a week, the children are quickly becoming better skiers. Just as important, Bailie said that his club also emphasizes teamwork and respect.

"We have a little code of ethics with the Koyotes. Our motto is 'I can,' which is basically believe in yourself. And you learn to believe in yourself by going out and doing things. Then you learn, 'hey I can do this.' We teach respect for ourselves, respect for one another and also for our environment and Mother Earth, and also nobody gets left behind. If you see one of your brothers or sisters down, you help them back up again. So basically things like that-all sworn to respect and honouring the good things that are in life," said Bailie.

Bailie said that skiing has helped him feel spiritually connected to the land and he hopes that it will have a similar effect on the Koyotes.

"I feel that we really need to reconnect with the land. ... We really have entered mainstream society and there's so many distractions, especially for our young people, that keep them away from doing traditional things; whereas, cross-country skiing takes you out on the land and reconnects you and that's been the one thing I've noticed. The kids really like it."

He is introducing cultural activities such as ice fishing and snaring and encouraging the use of northern and southern Tutchone language on their outings.

"That includes me relearning our language too ... I feel it's part of rediscovering our identity."

Bailie, who is a certified coach, said the outings are about fun rather than competition, but he will coach those who are interested in racing.

Last year, Bailie received both the Aboriginal Sport Coaching Role Model Award from the Aboriginal Sport Circle and the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal, which was awarded for service to his community.

"I am very honoured. I don't do things for awards," said Bailie. "I do it because I love it. ... I feel very happy and very content and at home when I'm out n the bush or out on the land, particularly in the Yukon; it's just a great place."