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DELINE - Since November of last year, it has been Gloria Gaudet's job to give the people of Deline the tools to make things happen.

Recreation co-ordinator Gloria Gaudet, 36, tries to find a balance between modern and traditional activities in her hometown of Deline. This winter she will be bringing Sahtu youth together for Arctic sports and Dene games. - photo courtesy of Gloria Gaudet

"You want to do more, you want to do something positive, and you try to do it every day," she said.

The 36-year-old mother of two is the community's new recreation co-ordinator – and so far it's been a busy eight months.

She has overseen fitness programs, like yoga and 'moms and tots,' and put on a full day of events for Canada Day.

This past winter she mixed fitness and tradition by bringing people out on the land to take part in traditional games and learn about nutrition.

She brought in ex-NHL players to help with hockey programs and in February brought all the Sahtu communities together for a weekend volleyball tournament; a dozen teams competed.

She has created a calendar outlining everything to do in town and secured funding, $20,000 to be exact, to bring Sahtu youth to Deline this winter to practise Arctic sports and Dene games.

The second half of her job is helping elders, volunteers, parents and kids implement their own programs. She provides guidance, funding or whatever else they need, and then lets them take the reins.

"The best part of my job, I think, is doing new things in the community, being out there, trying to introduce new stuff to the community and have it done successfully," she said.

Games like soccer and hockey are popular in Deline, so Gaudet tries to find a balance between those types of programs and ones that bring people out on the land and back to tradition.

Another part of Gaudet's job is to work closely with other recreation co-ordinators in the Sahtu and across the NWT to share ideas, programs and even plan events together. More often than not, to make their dollars go further, they make travel plans for when the winter road is in.

The response to her ideas, Gaudet said, has been positive so far.

"It makes me think, 'This is what they want.' It's exciting for me, introducing new stuff to the community, because I'm learning too," she said.

"If you're loving what you're doing then it's really good."

It has always been Gaudet's goal to work in the community in some sort of leadership role, which was one of the reasons she enrolled in the two-year recreation leadership program in Fort Smith. Having grown up in Deline, it was a natural progression to move back home and put the skills she learned into action. Last summer she began working for the recreation department part-time and four months later she was hired full-time.

Her community partners – volunteers, coworkers, parents, teachers, the youth centre, workers from income support, family members and elders – have helped make her first eight months on the job busy, but have also contributed to her success.

"I think the community works well together when everyone helps out," she said.

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