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From left, event organizer Roy Courtoreille, Alan Cardinal, Richard Lafferty, Norbert Poitras, Ernie Constant and Tony Buggins took part in the Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre's annual Biggest Fiddling and Jigging Competition North of 60 in Hay River Aug. 30 to 31. - photo courtesy of the Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre

HAY RIVER - The Don Stewart Recreation Centre in Hay River was filled with competitors from across the NWT as well as Alberta and British Columbia on the long weekend.

They were there to show off their fiddling and jigging skills in the largest competition in the North.

The Soaring Eagle Friendship Center has held the contest since 1996 and this year, organizers added a talent competition for participants to show off their vocal skills.

Roy Courtoreille, president of the centre and co-ordinator of the competition, said he was pleased with this year's event.

"It was great. It was a great turnout," he said. "I heard nothing but positive comments."

He said the competition, which drew fiddlers and jiggers from as far away as Edmonton, Tuktoyaktuk and Surrey, B.C., is advertised across Canada.

"I think for me the highlight was the adult talent show," said Courtoreille. "The level of talent was just great ... we're looking forward to doing it again next year."

Moses Butt and his wife Minie, of Yellowknife, were on their way back from a vacation in Edmonton when they heard about the singing competition in Hay River.

"It was good. We really enjoyed it. There was a lot of talent there," said Moses, who placed first in the adult talent show for singing.

Butt said he has been singing for a number of years.

"It felt pretty good (to win)," he said.

Cory Poitras, 19, placed second in adult fiddling and third in adult jigging.

He and his family drove 12 hours from St. Paul, Alta., to take part in the competition.

"I've been doing both (fiddling and jigging) eight years," said Poitras.

"The audience responded really well."

Poitras' sister Kelsey placed third in the youth talent show singing competition, first in youth fiddling and first in youth jigging.

Their father Eddie placed first in senior jigging.

"(It was) a whole family thing," said Poitras.

This was the family's third trip to Hay River for the championship and Poitras said he may be back next year.

Other winners this year included Andrea Bettger of Yellowknife, who placed third in adult fiddling. Finishing second and third in junior fiddling were Malcolm St. John of Hay River and Jessie Firth of Tuktoyaktuk. In adult jigging, Beverly Lambert of Surrey, B.C., was first and Audrey Randell of High Level, Alta., was second. Fort Resolution's Olga Aviugana was second to Kelsey Poitras in youth jigging, with Tianna Simon, also from Fort Resolution, placing third. Andrew Deedza of Meander River, Alta., was second place in senior jigging and third was Fort Resolution's Eva Villeneuve.

In the adult talent show, Hay River's Karen Lafferty took second place to Moses Butt and third was Stanley Beaulieu, also of Hay River.

n the youth talent show ,Samara Mckay came in first and Jessica Mckay placed second, both of Hay River.