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Weekend of workshops in Yellowknife

This weekend will mark the first time the Aboriginal Communities: Active for Life workshop will be available in the Northwest Territories.

The Aboriginal Communities: Active For Life workshop will be presented in Yellowknife for the first time this weekend. Photo courtesy of Sport For Life
The Aboriginal Communities: Active For Life workshop will be presented in Yellowknife for the first time this weekend. Photo courtesy of Sport For Life

The course will be hosted by the Aboriginal Sport Circle NWT alongside a number of partners  at Mildred Hall from Friday to Sunday.. In addition to the first time workshop being held the weekend will also see participants take part in the Sport for Life physical literacy instructor program and all the necessary per-requisite courses.

“This originally started in conversations quite a few months ago,” said Beth Hudson, events manager with the sports circle. “So what came from that was a partnership between us and the NWTRPA and the Mackenzie Recreation Association. We've decided in addition to the aboriginal workshop, to offer the physical literacy program as well so that's another Opportunity available.”

The Aboriginal Communities: Active for Life is a program that was designed by indigenous leaders from across Canada to promote cultural resources as a means to encourage individual and community health and wellness. The workshop focuses around physical literacy, the development of movement skills and promoting participation in active living.

“The Aboriginal Communities: Active for Life resource and accompanying full-day workshop were created with guidance from Indigenous leaders throughout the country, with the purpose of inspiring community leaders looking for culturally tailored resources that act as a vehicle toward individual and community holistic development.” states the NWT sport circles website.

The workshop will take place on Saturday starting at 9 a.m. The NWT sport circle is offering it free of charge after receiving funding from the national sport circle and Sport for Life. Hudson said the sport circle offered discounted travel for people to attend from across the territory.

“We're trying to fill a room with people from all walks of life to have good conversations on having active communities,” said Hudson. “We applied for additional funding to cover the travel costs. We thought it was important to reduce some of those barriers and make it inclusive to everyone”

Hudson said anyone can apply for the program before the end of day Friday but that spots are becoming increasingly limited. The workshop already has 25 registered participants.

“We have participants from 4 of the regions in the NWT which is exciting,” said Hudson. “To have representation Dehcho, Beaufort Delta, Tlicho, Akaitcho regions is really exciting.”

In addition to the active for life workshop, the sport circle is offering all the modules to obtain the Sport for Life Physical Literacy Instructor Certificate. The weekend will start with the first and second lessons needed to obtain the certificate on Friday and wrapping with the final module on Sunday.

“If they are participating in the entire weekend and doing the physical literacy portion, they will leave with the physical literacy certificate. So they will have something behind their name to show they are experts in physical literacy.”