John Lynch
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 23/02) - As one of the many dedicated volunteers in Yellowknife, Fraser Oliver is a father of four children who gives all the energy he can everywhere he goes, but especially to sports his kids are involved in and community sports.

Fraser Oliver is a teacher at St. Patrick high school in Yellowknife and is heavily involved in sporting activities in the community. - John Lynch/NNSL photo

Yellowknifelife: How old are you and where were you born?

Fraser Oliver: I am 43 years old and I was born in Sydney, N.S., in 1959. As a child and a teenager, I grew up in both Ottawa and Whitehorse. After graduating from St. Francis Xavier University (in Antigonish, N.S.) in the early 1980s, I applied for a good number of teaching positions across the country and Yellowknife was where I landed.

At that time, the demand for teachers was

nothing like it is now. Thankfully, now I have a wonderful family and a beautiful community to watch my kids grow up in.

Yellowknifelife: How long have you lived in Yellowknife and what keeps you here?

FO: I have lived in Yellowknife for 20 years. The friendliness and the camaraderie of the people makes it very attractive to me. The beautiful scenery also enhances the community.

There are many reasons someone could choose to live in Yellowknife.

Yellowknifelife: What has changed in the time since you have arrived here?

FO: The community has doubled in size since I first arrived. It is not as tight-knit here anymore either. Everyone does not know everyone like they did years ago. Even the things you would do today are completely different. Nobody leaves their house in Yellowknife unlocked anymore but that was the way when I first came. I would even leave my keys in the car running. You would never do that today.

In many ways, it now resembles a lot of other cities its size down south.

Yellowknifelife: What inspired you to become a teacher?

FO: When I was 13 or 14 years old, back in my early high school years, I did a lot of coaching of younger players. This was something I enjoyed a great deal; being with younger athletes and helping them.

Yellowknifelife: What sports did you play growing up?

FO: I played hockey and baseball as a boy. In high school, I also played football.

In university, I played junior

varsity hockey.

Yellowknifelife: Did you have any role models?

FO: At the teacher level, there were teachers I had in high school who inspired me and I wanted to do things like them. For a sporting role model, I had John Ferguson, a big tough player with the Montreal Canadiens back in the 1960s. He was my favourite player. In hockey when the other kids were picking Jean Beliveau and Gordie Howe, Ferguson was always my choice as the player to imitate.

Yellowknifelife: How involved with the community are you today?

FO: I like being very involved or as much as I can. I'm involved today with coaching sports here at the school. The list includes cross-country running and organizing volleyball tournaments. I also help coach the hockey team here at St. Pat's. The big one that takes up a lot of my time is school soccer.

I am also involved with coaching outside the school with three minor hockey teams. I also coach Aurora Minor Soccer. My kids get me involved in all of that.

Yellowknifelife: How has the teaching profession changed since you began your career?

FO: The teaching profession has more expectations placed upon teachers. Before the responsibilities were covering the curriculum and that's it. Now we are becoming social workers, advocates and counsellors for instance.

Generally, we have access to these professionals but we have so many students with a variety of needs these days that we have to be a jack-of-all-trades to all of them.

Yellowknifelife: What do you hope for in the future for sports in our community?

FO: I would like to see the city go ahead with the dual arena and finish it off and continue with the expansion of the great parks and hiking trails we have.

Personally, I also think the city should build one large gym like we have at Weledeh school. They should build that facility at Mildred Hall and Ecole St. Joseph schools. Those two schools go from kindergarten to Grade 8 and they have tiny gyms.

Several years ago, the city had given St. Pat's extra money when the school was built to expand the gym over and above the money offered by the Department of Education. This wish would be instead of having one big soccer venue. I would say instead of that, upgrade the those two schools as multi-purpose facilities instead of building one large soccer venue as some people are suggesting.

Yellowknifelife: What inspired you to start the annual Ecole St. Joseph cross-country race (which will be held this Wednesday)?

FO: Twenty year ago, all these little kids in Grades 1 and 2 were coming up to me asking about running. I then found out the championship for NWT was being in held in Fort Providence and that was just too far to go.

It was a four-hour ride each way with the road conditions. So based on that, we then started a race at St. Joe's to accommodate the little ones. It has mushroomed since then and now involves people of all ages. The numbers participating have grown as the community has expanded.

Yellowknifelife: Do you run yourself?

FO: Occasionally I get out. My wife gets me out the odd time in the summer to slowly make my way around the streets of Yellowknife.

Yellowknifelife: What has been the highlight of your life here in Yellowknife?

FO: There have been lots of them, that's for sure. Living here the last 20 years with my wife, Patricia, and watching my four children grow has been a great thing. They were all born here in Yellowknife. Today, Karly is 14, Steven 12, Heather, 10 and Fraser Donald is eight.

Yellowknifelife: Do you have a sporting highlight?

FO: For sports, I would have to say that the highlight is each season when Super Soccer starts. I love it so much. I find the indoor version of soccer very exciting. There are friends of mine involved in that right across the North and the only time I see them is when they have this event here in Yellowknife.

The first day of school here also gets me pretty pumped when the kids are all asking "When is soccer practice? When is hockey practice?"

Yellowknifelife: How do you feel about having your oldest daughter at St. Pat's as a Grade 9 student this year?

FO: I have been waiting a long time to have one of my children here at the high school. Karly is pretty timid and right now, I'm trying not to embarrass her.