Teacher headed to Rio Olympic Games
Arctic Bay educator plans to promote Nunavut at every opportunity
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Monday, July 25, 2016
IKPIARJUK/ARCTIC BAY
Jean-Francois Latour, a teacher at Inuujaq School in Arctic Bay, is living his dream and hoping to promote Nunavut as much as possible this summer.
Arctic Bay teacher Jean-Francois Latour, shown here with the Stanley Cup during its stop this summer in the community, will be a volunteer during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - photo courtesy of Jean-Francois Latour |
He's just been accepted as a volunteer during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
"I'm definitely very excited for it," he said by phone before leaving.
Latour will be volunteering at the basketball venue to start with, and then later at the fencing venue for modern pentathlon, which includes swimming, running, shooting, fencing and horseback riding.
That will be located at the Youth Arena in Deodoro, in the northwest part of Rio de Janeiro.
It will be Latour's second time volunteering during the Olympic Games. He first helped out in 2010 at the hockey venue in Vancouver. His journey to Rio has been three years in the making, when he first applied to be a volunteer in 2013.
"It's a very long process," he said, involving paperwork, verifications, criminal record checks, online training, interviews, on-site training and even learning Portuguese.
"There is a handful of Canadian volunteers, but I am pretty sure I am the only Nunavut volunteer at these Games," said Latour. "I think my sport background as an athlete, a coach and an administrator also helped me greatly to be considered."
Latour, who's active in the Arctic Bay community, said he will definitely be promoting Nunavut whenever possible.
He contacted Sport Nunavut and will be bringing swag to give away or swap.
"I will not shy away to display that I am Canadian from Nunavut," said Latour. "Who knows, I might even give interviews down there."
He's looking forward to the ambiance and experience of the Summer Olympics.
"Vancouver 2010 was amazing with a lot of the streets closed and people walking everywhere," he said.
"The Summer Games are at least twice as big as the Winter Games, so I can just imagine how big this event is. I am looking forward to doing my shifts at the youth arena, but also to my days off where I can attend other events, the cultural aspect of the Games and definitely sightseeing."
He's doesn't have any concerns of Brazil being dangerous, saying he's an experienced traveller.
Because classes in Inuujaq start in mid-August, the trip will mean he's not back in time for the start of the school year.
Latour gave a big thank you to Qikiqtani School operations executive director Trudy Pettigrew for letting him miss the first six days of school to go to Rio.
"Ms. Pettigrew recognized a unique lifetime opportunity for me," he said. "I am also planning some interactive sessions with the teachers and students of Inuujaq School in Arctic Bay. I will provide them with as much first-hand material as I can - pictures, videos, Skype. I am planning to bring back all kinds of items related to the Games, to Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.
"This is not just a one-man show here, a lot of people are helping me in order for me to be able to do that."
