Paula White
Northern News Services

NNSL (July 02/99) - If stress is a problem, Alice Wagenaar is the solution.

Wagenaar is a RMT -- registered massage therapist -- which means she uses her hands to soothe stress, aches and pains and help injuries heal faster. She has been practising for about three years, and is trained in Swedish-style massage, acu-pressure and reflexology. She also does craniosacral therapy.

"It's a very gentle, hands-on treatment that works with the craniosacral system (head and spinal area)," she explained. "When there's tension and restriction in the system, they can cause all sorts of problems in the body."

Specifically, it can cause many neurological problems, from headaches to difficulties with motor skills.

"It's amazing what's all connected," Wagenaar remarked. "In ways we don't really expect sometimes."

Wagenaar went to school in Calgary and received training at the Upledger Institute, which is based in Florida. She is a member of the Reflexology Association of Canada and has taken part in a number of training workshops. She says that in her line of work, training is ongoing.

"There's always new things to learn. The human body's a complex thing, so...like in anything, we can keep on learning."

Wagenaar, originally from Lethbridge, Alta., moved to town June 5 from Waterton Park, Alta., where she had been living for the past seven or eight years. About a month before she arrived in Inuvik, her husband, Edwin Knox, moved here. He works for Parks Canada and came up to fill a six-month term position. Because of the short term, Wagenaar originally didn't intend to join him, but said on the day he was leaving, she had four clients scheduled to come in for therapy and none showed up.

Frustrated, this led her to the Internet, where Inuvik was advertised as having a massage therapy wellness centre. She made a phone call and reached the owner of Inuvik Sports and Leisure, Dave Reid, who confirmed he was looking for a therapist to fill the position.

"It's amazing what motivates us to do these things," she laughed. "It just seemed like the thing to do."

Wagenaar admitted that she never dreamed she would find a job as a massage therapist in Inuvik. To her surprise, Inuvik Sports and Leisure had all the necessary equipment.

"They had a massage table, they have pretty well everything," she said. "All I brought were my hands."

Within a day of her arrival, she had her first client.

"I'm quite pleased with the response," Wagenaar said. "I think people appreciate a service here, more so than people in the south."

After the six months are up, Wagenaar and Knox may or may not head back to Waterton Park, which is a town of about 100 year-round residents located in Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta. She didn't know if there would be an opportunity for them to stay or not, but added that one never knows.

"I'm really enjoying Inuvik," she added. "It's nice to live in a little larger community."