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TTHENAAGO/NAHANNI BUTTE
There was fun and laughter amid the games as Winterfest was held in Nahanni Butte.

Alan Taylor, back left, cheers as his teammate John Paul Tonka, right, gets a goal past Chris Reeves during one of the floor hockey games that was part of Winterfest in Nahanni Butte. Reeve's teammates include Pauline Campbell, left, Nathan Betsaka and Christian Betsaka. - photo courtesy of Canadian Zinc

The fourth annual event, sponsored by the Canadian Zinc Corporation, drew approximately 30 people to the community's gymnasium on the afternoon of Feb. 1. Winterfest usually consists of floor hockey and badminton games, but this year the organizers tried something a bit different.

Stacey Marcellais, a mine administrative assistant with the company, and community member Cathryn Bertrand planned a series of games based on the television game show Minute to Win It. The games had community members trying to complete light-hearted tasks.

In the balloon bounce, contestants had to keep two balloons in the air while staying inside a circle marked on the floor.

"A lot of people liked that," Marcellais said.

In another game, a modified version of musical chairs, contestants had to pass a hockey stick around a circle and the person left holding it when the music was turned off was out. A large circle of people was gradually whittled down to two youths, Garey Ekotla and Sydney Hope. When the music stopped for the last time Hope won the game.

While youths and adults played the games a number of elders watched from chairs placed along the edges of the gym.

"They really enjoyed it," said Marcellais.

Other games included putting together puzzles made from the fronts of cereal boxes and having contestants try to throw a ping pong ball into a cup balanced on their partner's head. The afternoon was just like a big family gathering, said Marcellais, who's originally from Nahanni Butte.

Floor hockey played by four teams

"There was food and people and people were laughing," she said.

The afternoon was rounded out with games of floor hockey played by four teams. The sport is very popular in Nahanni Butte, said Marcellais.

Canadian Zinc donated new floor hockey equipment to the community including nets, goalie equipment and hockey sticks to replace those damaged by last year's flood. People were so eager to play that as Winterfest wound down and some participants left the remaining hockey players combined to make new teams for one last game.

Throughout the afternoon prizes were given away through draws and for the winners of the games. The prizes included items such as slow-cookers, toaster ovens, DVDs and thermal mugs.

"I think it was our best year for games," said Chris Reeves, Canadian Zinc's general manager.

The blend of community games and floor hockey made the afternoon a lot of fun, he said.

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