Battleford Indian and Metis Friendship Centre

Two winters ago the youth and youth workers of the Battleford Indian and Metis Friendship Centre achieved an ambitious project. They set up a public rink in an empty lot beside the centre. The project was not simple by any means.

After much fundraising and initial planning, the group was able to purchase the materials for the rink. Then, for two days, the youth and youth workers set up the rink side boards. During the following two weeks, they creatively painted the boards with logos.

The youths' determination was rewarded, as they enjoyed the rink the entire skating season.  Saskatchewan Lotteries providing the Friendship Centre with funds to maintain the rink during the winter to assist with innovative.

Although there are no plans to set up the rink this winter, many other programs offered by the Friendship Centre, with funding assistance from Saskatchewan Lotteries, are benefiting Battleford youth.

Kathy Whitford, a coordinator at the Friendship Centre, said the centre and its programs aim to educate the youths "culturally and in their lifestyle choices." While the rink encouraged the youths to be physically active, other programs at the centre teach youth about basic life skills and their cultural heritage.

Recently, Whitford coordinated a series of cooking classes for youth. Classes were held three times a week, during which Whitford taught the youth about nutrition and kitchen sanitation. Whitford notes the important support of Saskatchewan Lotteries for the program, explaining that Saskatchewan Lotteries provided funds for food, facility rental costs, and staff wages.  About 10 to 15 youth from ages 12 to 17 attended the classes, with more attending during the winter months.  For Whitford, the highlight of the program was the final cook-off, a special event for the youth and their parents.  At the cook-off, the young chefs whipped up their creations for parents to enjoy. 

Sewing classes recently offered at the Friendship Centre have connected the youth with their cultural heritage. Youth in the sewing classes learned how to make traditional powwow outfits, including jingle dresses and fancy dance dresses.  Saskatchewan Lotteries provided funding to make the sewing classes possible, including the machines and materials. Those who benefit from the centre's sewing program extend beyond the youth, as these machines are used by seniors in the community.

The Battleford Indian and Metis Friendship Centre plans to continue to access funding from Saskatchewan Lotteries to provide valuable programs to the youth.  Currently, Whitford is applying for funding for beading and moccasin making programs. To Whitford, the contributions of Saskatchewan Lotteries to the Friendship Centre are vital. 

 
Northern Festival Celebrates Métis Culture

Maria Campbell, a pioneer in the preservation of Métis culture, was one of the storytellers at the first Northern Saskatchewan Métis Dance, Music & Storytelling Festival in La Ronge on March 30, 2006. While reading from her book Stories of the Road Allowance People, she helped the audience members connect the modern realities of Métis life to a rich cultural heritage.

The audience, Métis and non-Métis, young and old, came to learn about the traditions and history of the Métis people. "The event brought traditional Métis culture and contemporary culture together and allowed us to showcase both up-coming and established Métis artists," explained Gabriel Thompson, Northern School and Community Recreation Coordinator at Gordon Denny School in Air Ronge. "It was a significant event. We don't often have an opportunity to celebrate Métis culture with the general public."

Throughout the day, school children explored Métis life, language and culture through music, storytelling, demonstrations and history lessons. That evening, they invited their parents, relatives and neighbours to join in the discovery and celebrations.

The evening event brought out a capacity crowd of over 250 to listen to the music and participate in other cultural activities. Musicians John and Vicki Arcand, Ralph Opikokew, Darwin Roy, Nosehare, Edmond Bell, Donald Halkett, Don Freed and Laura Burnouf each provided insight into the evolution of Métis music and culture. The Riel Reelers from Regina and the Stanley Mission Square Dancers had audience members tapping their toes and joining in the traditional dances. Storyteller Julius 'Bones' Park and writer Harold Johnson joined Maria Campbell to talk about the history and traditions of the Métis people.  Throughout the evening, a fashion show featured artifacts from the Batoche Métis Museum. Scott Duffee, a local sash weaver, explained the significance of the Métis sash and demonstrated the craft of weaving sashes.

Gabriel Thompson was one of the instigators and organizers of the event. As a Northern School and Community Recreation Coordinator, it is his job to involve community members, voluntary human services organizations and government agencies in the development and delivery of community-based programming. The program utilizes local schools as the "hub" of community programming both during and after school hours and facilitates community sport, recreation and culture opportunities in 25 schools in northern Saskatchewan. The program is funded by Saskatchewan Lotteries and managed by the Northern Recreation Coordinating Committee.

The Northern Saskatchewan Métis Dance, Music & Storytelling Festival was supported by Saskatchewan Lotteries; Jim Brady Development Corporation Inc.; Saskatchewan Métis Sports, Culture, Recreation & Youth Inc.; Gabriel Dumont Institute of Métis Studies and Applied Research Inc.; and Batoche Historic Site, Parks Canada, Gordon Denny Community School, Pre-Cam Community School, Churchill Community High School, Northern Entertainment Cooperative and Northern Women's Métis Association.

Cycling is more than just bikes

Think cycling is just a matter of climbing aboard your bicycle and heading down the street or trails? That may be part of it, but for the Saskatchewan Cycling Association (SCA), it's a lot more. The SCA offers mountain bike and road racing, randonneuring, touring, safety programs and much more.

"With the funding we receive from Saskatchewan Lotteries, we are able to offer our members many opportunities that would not be possible otherwise," says SCA Executive Director Denise Eberle. 

The association is always busy organizing and promoting many events.  Members were extremely active in organizing the cycling venue for last year's Canada Summer Games in Regina. Athletes and coaches are currently training for the 2007 Western Canada Summer Games in Strathcona County, Alberta. 

From July 23-30, 2006, the SCA is hosting its Great Annual Saskatchewan Pedal (GASP), this year known as the Shamrock Tour.  GASP will begin and end in Prince Albert and make three loops, forming the shape of a shamrock.  GASP is a recreational event open to cyclists of varying ages, abilities and experience levels. "It's a great way to meet people, have some fun and have experiences with people who share similar interests," says Eberle.

The SCA is actively involved in the Co-operators WiseRider Program, which promotes safe cycling. Taking place each June in Regina, this year's event featured a bike rodeo, railroad crossing lights, street lights, and golf carts to simulate traffic. Franklin the Turtle also staged a special guest appearance. The SCA also provides speakers to high schools to discuss bike safety and rules of the road.

Another popular cycling event is Bikeapalooza, a Saskatchewan Bicycle Festival and Rally in Saskatoon.  Cycling enthusiasts participate in rides and tours throughout the May long weekend, led by experienced SCA members.

The SCA has also been helping two fledgling BMX cycling clubs get up and running this past year.

Water Polo keeps on swimming along

You might say that lottery funding keeps water polo enthusiasts playing in this province. Without it, says Jymmi Kaye Demchuk, the Executive Director of Water Polo Saskatchewan, the sport would be sinking.

Although it may not be the best-known sport in Saskatchewan, it's one of the best-loved for those who participate. Despite the relatively small number of clubs, Saskatchewan has a distinguished history of placing athletes on the national team.

"We spend our lottery funding in four areas," explains Demchuk. "These areas include: capacity, participation, excellence, and administration."

The association develops its capacity through such initiatives as volunteer recognition programs, board development initiatives and communication with the members

Increasing participation is achieved through athlete camps, competitions, coaching and official education programs, and human resource development for club administrators. Special programs have been created to reach under-represented populations such as the aboriginal community.

"We partner in a program called Girl Power, which provides girls aged 8-13 of aboriginal heritage that opportunity to participate in a variety of water sports. We offer water polo, synchronized swimming, speed swimming, and diving. It basically gives them a taste for each sport over a six week period. We hope that some of them will eventually join a mainstream club," says Demchuk.

To foster excellence, the association provides advanced training for athletes, coaches and officials. Recently, Water Polo Saskatchewan organized a Long Term Athlete Development workshop for coaches, which ensured that its programs were structured to ensure they met the long term needs of athletes. One of the benefits of the workshop is that it provided a training program for high performance athletes between practices to help them achieve peak performances.

The administration portion of lottery funding is used to pay staff salaries and provide annual funding for clubs so they can continue to provide programs and services for people of every age and ability.

"Lottery funding is vital to our organization," says Demchuk. "We encourage everyone to buy their lottery tickets and keep sports like water polo afloat."