Windspeaker sports briefs

Ojibwe Northern Storm defends hockey title
An Aboriginal women's squad successfully defended its title at the Canadian Multicultural Hockey Championships.
The Ojibwe Northern Storm won its second consecutive crown at the 2007 tournament, which concluded on Dec. 30 in Toronto.
The Northern Storm edged the Japanese Typhoon 4-3 in the championship match. The Typhoon squad included Vicky Sunohara, one of Canada's top female players ever and a long-time member of the Canada's national women'sBy Marie Burke
Windspeaker Staff Writer
Winnipeg
The latest Census report says Aboriginal people are the youngest and fastest growing population in Canada and many organizations believe they may be the answer to the skill shortage in the trades and more specifically in construction.
"We knew the skill shortage was coming and now it's here. It's such an advantage this skill shortage, for Aboriginal people wanting a well-paid career," said Kelly Lindsay, president and chief Executive Officer for the Aboriginal Human Resource Council (AHRC).
The number one focus for the AHRC is to help employers recruit and retain the largely untapped Aboriginal workforce. It means making the connection between skilled and apprenticeship Aboriginal workers and employers. They could meet the shortage of workers in the construction trades, said Lindsay.
"We've done more than make the connections. Once Aboriginal people and employers connect, they need to start making commitments and decide what steps they are willing to take to making this work for everyone," said Lindsay.
That means finding the middle ground between Aboriginal workers and employers to take action and respond to the growing need for skilled trade and apprenticeship workers, said Lindsay.
The AHRC created the three year National Trades and Apprenticeship initiative to strengthen partnerships with public and private sectors. Lindsay believes there also needs to be a national framework in place to ensure Aboriginal people improve their skills and employers develop the workplace.
With a booming $130 million construction industry in Canada, employment growth in construction has exceeded all other industries in the last 10 years.
The Canadian Construction Sector Council is taking part in making relationships work between industry and the Aboriginal workforce.
The development of a Web site www.csc-ca.org, dedicated to Aboriginal careers in Construction is part of their Aboriginal employment strategy.
"It is important to make sure people know about the successes of Aboriginal people in the industry," said Allan Page, Project Manager, CSC.
Profiles of successful Aboriginal people in trades are featured on the Web site along with information and links to Aboriginal training boards and Aboriginal training projects across Canada.
Visitors have the option of choosing a career and apprenticeship, inside the industry, job markets. They will also learn how to get started in the construction industry, wihch is readily available for both men and women.
Industry partners in the four sectors of the construction industry; New Home Building and Renovation, Heavy Industrial and Commercial construction, and Civil engineering construction can find information on where to link up with the Aboriginal workforce. The site is also for career counselors, and organizations like the AHRC.
Currently, the Residential construction sector has the strongest growth with 50 per cent of the construction workforce employed in this area.
"The construction industry has long tradition with Aboriginal people and has been a good fit," said Page.
The challenges that exist for Aboriginal people to become successful in the construction industry can be overcome," he said. "Apprenticeships leading to journeyman certification are made much easier when grade12 math and reading skills are there at the beginning," said Page.
These types of challenges and more are something that Lindsay is working on for Aboriginal people interested in a career in the trades.
"How can we breakdown some of the barriers that exist for Aboriginal and how can we awaken employers and connect them with Aboriginal people," said Lindsay.
"Some of the answers are found in the pre-trade programs and some answers can be found in developing promising practices instead of developing best practice models," he said.
That means identifying real practices around recruitment, retention and corporate behaviors by changing people practices, said Lindsay. "We ask what type of career would like to have in your lifetime and how do I get there and that's the promising part," said Lindsay.

Aboriginal people are wanted in the trades industry hockey team.

Harmony Babstock led the Northern Storm with a pair of goals in the finals. Also scoring for the Ojibwe side were Kelly Babstock and Gerrilyn Manitowabi.
The Northern Storm won all four of its contests at the five-day tournament, outscoring its opponents 19-7.
The eight-team women's division also included another Aboriginal squad, the Iroquois River Chicks. The Iroquois side posted a 1-2 record in its three matches.
The River Chicks were downed 5-3 in their opener by the Irish Raiders. The Northern Storm then beat the River Chicks 5-2. The Iroquois club blanked the United World Ice Maidens 8-0 in their final match.
Meanwhile, a pair of Aboriginal men's teams also took part in the tournament.
The Iroquois Silverhawks had an impressive 4-1 record. The Silverhawks' tournament concluded with a 6-5 semi-final loss against the Nubian Kings. And the Anishinabek Thunderbirds had a 2-2 record in the tournament. One of the Thunderbirds' losses was a 5-3 setback versus the Silverhawks.

Point racks up points

An Aboriginal player is an early candidate to win rookie of the year honors in the National Lacrosse League.
Craig Point, who turned 22 on Jan. 19, has had a terrific start in his first professional box lacrosse season. Point, who is from Ohsweken, Ont., is a member of the Minnesota Swarm, one of seven clubs that compete in the NLL's East Division.
During his first pro game on Jan. 11, Point racked up eight points (six goals, two assists) as the Swarm defeated the host Toronto Rock 17-16 in overtime. The following evening Point scored once and added an assist as the Swarm downed the Rock 11-4 in Minnesota.
And Point then scored three goals and chipped in with one assist as Minnesota edged the defending league champion Rochester Knighthawks 18-17 on Jan. 26.
Point and his Swarm teammates were tied atop the East standings with the Philadelphia Wings, who also had a perfect 3-0 record. With his 14 points in three games, Point was third in the Swarm scoring race.
The fact Point is earning his share of points at the pro level is not a surprise. He was expected to have an immediate impact with the Minnesota squad.
Last year Point led the Iroquois Nationals team in scoring with 11 goals at the world box lacrosse championships in Halifax. The Iroquois Nationals club was stacked with numerous other NLL veterans.

Online petition hopes to generate funds for athletes

An online petition to generate some financial support for Aboriginal athletes had received more than 400 signatures by late January.
The petition, which was written by James Wilson, can be viewed at www.petitiononline.com/Aborigin/petition.html
The petition, an open letter to the Canadian Olympic Committee, is hoping that Canadian sporting officials show support to Aboriginal sports by funding its athletes and programs.
Wilson writes athletes would rather receive such support rather than simply showing off Aboriginal culture at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, B.C., through dance, regalia and cultural appropriation.
Another hope in the petition is to have a representational number of Aboriginal athletes on Canadian teams at all future Olympic competitions.