NHL and Team Canada team colours and logos were everywhere during national Jersey Day at Jonah Amitnaaq Secondary School in Baker Lake on Nov. 29, 2014. - photo courtesy of Steve Paterson |
Joining in on the athletic fun
Baker Lake hosts day of events for Sports Day in Canada
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, December 10, 2014
BAKER LAKE
It was a wonderful day of games, activities and good times as Baker Lake took part in Sports Day in Canada on Nov. 29.
The community was also awash in vibrant colours the previous day, when young-and-old alike donned the sweater of their favourite team for National Jersey Day.
Sports Day in Canada is organized through ParticipACTION and sponsored by the Royal Bank of Canada.
Students from both Rachel Arngnammaktiq Elementary School and Jonah Amitnaaq Secondary School took part in the activities hosted on Sports Day in Canada.
A large number of adults also took part in the events, which featured toddler free play, Hoops 4 Hope, adult badminton, volleyball and traditional games, youth badminton, minor hockey, table tennis, hockey free skate, fitness and exercise, and a community dance to wrap-up proceedings.
Both schools and the Baker arena were put into action hosting the events.
Physical education teacher Brad Mainse said, to the best of his knowledge, Baker Lake was the only Nunavut community to register for the event.
He said this marked the third year Baker took part in Sports Day in Canada.
"A number of volunteers jumped on-board to help offer the program, which demonstrated good community support for the effort," said Mainse. "We're already looking forward to next year, and I encourage more communities to sign up, be creative, and help build community health and awareness."
Once a community signs up for the event and lists its various activities, a support package is sent to help make it a success.
The package includes stickers, water bottles, a couple of T-shirts, a large banner and a number of different sized posters to promote the event.
Community organizers decide what type of activities to host.
Mainse said they can be sports-specific, team-specific or school-specific activities, with no limit on how many groups in a community can host the event.
He said two groups took part this year in Baker, with the hamlet and schools each putting in a request and working together on the events.
"The activities began at 11 a.m. on Nov. 29 and went until 2 a.m. the following morning, if you include the dance we held that night. We had a pretty good turnout from just about every age group, although there were one or two events that weren't advertised as well as they could have been.
"I couldn't, personally, attend every event, but I heard plenty of good things about the activities held at the arena and both schools.
"Kids love their sports and activities, so it doesn't take that much effort to keep them happy."
