Cultural Context
Understanding the cultural context of a community is critical when designing and implementing physical activity and sport programs. For example, integrating Indigenous values, beliefs, and practices (e.g. smudging, berry picking, hunting) into programs can greatly enhance their value among Indigenous groups. Engage stakeholders in the process, and ensure that their needs and priorities are taken…
Inclusion Must Be Intentional
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “inclusion” is the action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure. True inclusion involves authentic and empowered participation and a true sense of belonging for all participants. However, if we want to be successful with inclusion, we must intentionally plan for it –…
Gender-based Violence in Sport
Coaches can play an important role in teaching athletes about healthy relationships in and through sport. The Coaching Association of Canada is leading a new project to build the capacity of coaches and other sport system stakeholders to help prevent and address gender-based and teen dating violence. To learn about the project and complete coach and athlete…
2020 Arctic Winter Games: Cultural Program & Gala – A Circumpolar Approach
This is the fourth blog of a series leading up to the 2020 Arctic Winter Games that will be hosted by Whitehorse, YT March 15-21, 2020. Check out the previous blogs about the development of the Games, volunteer recruitment, and First Nations engagement. Since the Arctic Winter Games (AWG) began in 1970, cultural exchange and…
AWG2020 and the TRC Calls to Action
Number 91 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action reads: We call upon the officials and host countries of international sporting events such as the… [Arctic Winter Games] …to ensure that Indigenous peoples’ territorial protocols are respected, and local Indigenous communities are engaged in all aspects of planning and participating in…
Reconciliation as a Social Legacy
When an estimated 2,000 participants arrive in Whitehorse next March, they’ll be welcomed to the Traditional Territory of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council, two of 11 self-governing First Nations in the Yukon. In today’s SIRC blog, learn about the steps the 2020 Arctic Winter Games Host Society is taking to ensure…
Reconciliation as a Social Legacy of the 2020 Arctic Winter Games
This is the second blog in a series leading up to the 2020 Arctic Winter Games that will be hosted by Whitehorse, YT March 15-21, 2020. Check out the first blog, about the development of the Games. Watch for the next blog, focused on volunteer recruitment and retention, in October. The Yukon leads the way as…
2020 AWG Blog Series
The first Arctic Winter Games was hosted in 1970 engaging 500 athletes from Alaska, Northwest Territories, and Yukon. In March of 2020, an estimated 2,000 athletes from across the Circumpolar North will be in Whitehorse, Yukon as the Games mark their 50th anniversary. Learn more about the Games and its role in athlete development in…
Sport for Social Development
The Government of Canada recently announced investments to expand the use of sport and physical activity programming as a means to improve social development in Indigenous communities. The application process for projects designed to improve health, improve education, reduce at-risk behaviour, and improve employability, is now open. The deadline for applications is July 19, 2019.
2020 Arctic Winter Games: How Uneven Competition Led to Significant Change in Northern Sport Development
This is the first blog in a series leading up to the 2020 Arctic Winter Games that will be hosted by Whitehorse, YT March 15-21, 2020. Subsequent blogs will focus on the logistical challenges of hosting in a smaller centre, engaging remote northern and First Nations communities, and the incorporation of Circumpolar culture. Living in…