FORT SIMPSON - With the final official word from Mayor Duncan Canvin on Feb. 18, what is being regarded as a largely successful NWT Winter Games was brought to a close.

From Feb. 15 to 18, Fort Simpson hosted the games, which brought together more than 275 athletes from 28 Northwest Territories communities to participate in seven different sports.

The games went well, said Chris Stipdonk, the games' co-ordinator.

"Everything went very smooth, he said.

Stipdonk said he was impressed with how well-organized the event was.

Sports at the games included speed skating, basketball, broomball, badminton, cross-country skiing, snowboarding and Dene Games.

Representatives from territorial sports organizations taught the various activities over the three days. The instructors went above and beyond the call of duty, said Andrew Hillaby, recreation director for the village.

Instructors were patient with the kids and provided quality instruction, said Hillaby. The instructors of outdoor sports were particularly encouraging as they dealt with cold temperatures in the mornings, he said.

Hillaby echoed the sentiment that the games went smoothly.

"I've never been involved with something so awkward in logistics that's gone so smoothly," he said.

From start to finish no session was any later than 15 minutes in starting, he said. The participants moved through two sessions on Friday and Saturday morning and one each evening in addition to one session Sunday morning.

The proximity of the events to each other helped a lot, too, said Hillaby. Events were located at and behind the recreation centre, in the gym at Thomas Simpson school, on the golf course and on the hill by the snye.

Volunteers were a crucial part of the success, said Hillaby.

"I couldn't have done it without all the volunteers at all the locations," he said.

Formal volunteers had been working on the games for the past few months, but informal volunteers showed up at the recreation centre a few days before the games to ask where they could help, he said.

Between 75 and 100 local residents volunteered their time including Thomas Simpson school students, parents, local nurses, teachers, village council members and people from private companies. They helped with everything from making meals to supervising events.

"Fort Simpson can be really proud of their effort," said Hillaby.

Looking back on the games, Hillaby said there was nothing significant he would have done differently.

It would have been nice to have had smaller groups in the sessions but that would have involved adding another day, which wouldn't have been possible, he said.

"I do believe we ran a smooth, safe, secure and successful event for all the athletes, chaperones and instructors," said Hillaby.

Many of the participants also seemed to enjoy the games.

"It's fun," said Tina Klondike, one of eight participants from Fort Liard.

Klondike, 11, had just tried badminton for the first time. Her favorite sport so far on Saturday was cross-country skiing. Klondike said she liked skiing because she got to meet and talk to new people.

Broomball ranked high on Sherissa Grossetete's list of favorite activities. Grossetete, 10, from Fort Simpson, said she liked that broomball was kind of like hockey and enjoyed playing when she wasn't in the nearby wood-heated tent warming back up.

After her team won at handgames three times in a row, Cydney Nahanni-Kwasney, 10, from Fort Simpson thought Dene Games was great.

"Dene Games is really fun," she said.

Except for a few minor glitches, most chaperones also had nothing but praise for the games.

"It's been going great so far," said Robert Loe, a chaperone from Fort Liard.

The organization has been going smoothly, he said. Loe's only complaint was about the long line-ups for food. Meals for all the participants were made by Teresa Byatt and the graduating class at Thomas Simpson school.

George Tsetso, who brought seven participants from Nahanni Butte, was also impressed by the games.

"It's going really good," said Tsetso.

"The kids have picked up a lot of good stuff."

For the Nahanni Butte students, playing inside was a real plus because the community doesn't have a gymnasium, Tsetso said.

The three participants from Kakisa also benefited from the games because they got to try activities they don't have access to in their small community, said Sheila Hilliard, the teacher at Kakisa Lake school who chaperoned the group.

"It was a great learning experience for them," said Hilliard.

All the participants got a taste of the sports and even those who weren't so keen at the beginning of an event often said they liked it afterwards, she said.

"I thought it was just fantastic," said Hilliard.