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DEH CHO
Soccer, floor hockey, min-golf and Blastball, these are some of the activities that were keeping youths in Fort Liard active last week.

Jordan Nelson manoeuvres a ball over the inventive mini-putt course that was one of the activities youth participated in during the multi-sport camp in Fort Liard. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Between July 24 and 27, the hamlet was added to the list of communities in the Deh Cho to hold a multi-sport camp this summer. The camps are organized and run by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) and the Mackenzie Recreation Association.

In the Deh Cho, the camps began as sessions approximately 10 years ago for Trout Lake, Nahanni Butte, Jean Marie River and Wrigley – the communities without pools.

The idea was to provide safe water instruction and a few other activities, said Deborah Stipdonk, the executive director for the association.

Over time, through access to qualified staff and partnerships with MACA, the camps have expanded, Stipdonk said. The association organizes camps for any community in the Mackenzie Region that requests one, and tries to match the activities with what the community wants. Staff with a variety of skills are chosen to lead the camps.

"The idea is to encourage everyone to have fun and be physically active," said Stipdonk.

The camps promote improving skills in a fun, non-competitive manner, she said.

In addition to encouraging youth to make sport and physical activities a part of their lifestyles, the camps also provide other benefits, said Tom Williams, the deputy minister of MACA.

One such benefit is attracting older youths to get involved in coaching and leadership roles, said Williams.

Young adults who are interested in careers in sport and recreation also receive support through the program, he said.

MACA tries to hire one summer student in each region to help run the multi-sport camps in their area. Summer students from Yellowknife provide additional support.

These students are chosen because they are taking studies related to sports or recreation. The camps give them a chance to develop their skills. They are the future community recreation directors and MACA regional officers, said Williams.

Multi-sport camps have spread out from the Deh Cho and MACA is now supporting them, alongside regional sports organizations, in a variety of communities in the territory. The goal is to offer the camps across the North, said Williams.

"It's something we're very proud of, that we can deliver a program like this," he said.

In Fort Liard, Jackie Thompson, a MACA summer student, said youths are generally excited when the multi-sport camp arrives in their community. It takes a day or two for the word to spread, but as soon as kids start telling each other about the camp there are lots of participants, Thompson said.

In Fort Liard, there were 25 participants on the afternoon of July 24 for parachute games and soccer.

Thompson, who together with Colin Stipdonk, a Mackenzie Recreation Association summer student, has led four camps so far this summer, said the most popular activities vary by community. In Fort Simpson capture the flag was the most popular activity, while in Fort Liard swimming has been very popular, she said.

Colten Deneron, 9, came to the camp in Fort Liard every day.

Deneron said without the camp he would have spent his time biking around the hamlet. Deneron's favourite sports at the camp included soccer, floor hockey and Blastball.

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