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NWTcommunitiesviefor2018ArcticWinterGamesSouthSlaveBeaufortDeltasubmitbidstohostinternationaltournamentTuesdayDecember2201413SPORTSRECREATIONARCTICWINTERGAMESByDALICARMICHAELAftermonthsofmeticulousplanningandbudgetingtwoNWTregionsvyingforthehostingrightsoftheArcticWinterGamesAWGhaveofciallysubmittedtheirbidsandbotharecondentintheirchances.CommunitiesfromtheSouthSlaveregionhavepartnereduptocompeteagainstthemorenorthernBeaufortDeltafortherighttohostthousandsofathletesatthecoveted2018internationalgameswithbidspolishedandsubmittedlastFridaytotheInternationalArcticGamescouncil.TheJournalspoketoFortSmithcouncil-lorDonWebbandInuvikSAOGrantHoodtoseehowthetworegionsstackedup.TheSouthSlaveIntheSouthSlavethethreecommuni-tiesofHayRiverEnterpriseandFortSmithhavepooledtogetherresourcesfortheirAWGbid.Allinalltheyhavebudgetedabout7.5milliontowardhostingthegamesmostofwhichwillbededicatedtooperationalfeesandsomeinfrastructureupdates.OneofthegreateststrengthsofthebidaccordingtoWebbisthecloseproximityofalltheparticipatingcommunities.Thecareandcomfortoftheathletesisex-tremelyimportantWebbsaid.Wehavealoteasiertravelbetweenthecommunities...Theresnodailytravelnoinconvenienceorupsetstotheathletesonacontinuousbasis.Numeroustournamentsandotherlargeeventshavebeenpreviouslysharedbetweenthecommunitiesmeaningthatmostoftheirven-uesarealreadyinplace.ButtomaketheirbidworktheSouthSlaveteamdidsaytheywouldhavetodroptabletenniscompetitionsduetoalackoftablesandcapacitytoholdtheevent.FortSmithwillhavetoinvestinresourcesforthegamessnowboardingeventsandHayRiverwillneedtoestablishanindoorsoccerfacility.TheywillalsobeinvestingincreatingmorekitchenspacetokeepalltheathletesandtheirmissionstaffwellfedforFortSmiththiscouldmeananadditiontothekitcheninSt.JosephsCathedral.WebbsaidtheseitemswouldstandinthecommunitiesaslastinginfrastructureoncetheAWGshavewrappedup.ThelegacyisthatyoubuildspiritinyourcommunityandyoubuildcapacityWebbsaid.Itsreallygreatforcommunityspiritandtrainingvolunteers.TheBeaufortDeltaMeanwhiletheBeaufortDeltabidisbeingledbyInuvikinpartnershipwithAklavikTuktoyaktukandFortMcPherson.WelldoasmuchaswecaninInuvikHoodsaid.Wereputtingeventsinwhereittswellwiththedifferentcommunitiesandtheircapabilities.Withmostofthenecessaryinfrastruc-tureinplaceleadersinInuvikhavealsobudgetedabout7.5millionforthegamesthoughthatpricetagcouldincreaseshouldthetowngoaheadwithconstruc-tionofanewfacilityforthegamesopen-ingceremonies.IfInuvikandthesurroundingareacapturetheAWGsitwillbethersttimetheyhaveactuallybeenplayedabovetheArcticcircleafactorthatHoodbelievesisakeysellingpointfortheregionsbid.Inuviksagreatplacehesaid.Itsuniqueinwherewerelocatedandwhatwehavetoofferforthevisitors...Werenostrangerstoknowinghowtoputsomethingon-biggertypesofevents.Bothcommitteesfromthenorthandsoutharecondentintheirbidsbutfornowthedecisionisoutoftheirhands.WellsitbacknowinanticipationWebbsaid.ThewinnerwillbeannouncedsometimeinMarch2015.ByDALICARMICHAELOneFortSmithsportenthusiastismak-ingmovestoreachthetownsnewlymintedgoalofbecomingthehealthiestcommunityinNorthernCanadaoverthenextveyearsandthehealthiestsmalltowninthecoun-tryoverthenextdecade.AfterFortSmithtowncouncilpassedarec-reationproclamationdeclaringitsvitalroleinthehealthandwellnessofthecommunityonOct.24itsatuntouchedforalmostamonthatwhichpointthetownsrecreationprogram-merCynthiaWhitedecidedtotakeaction.InCanadawehavethenationalsportframeworkshesaid.Mostjurisdictions-provincesandterritories-havearegionaloneaswellsotheyveidentiedoradaptedthenationalpolicysoastomeettheirneeds.ThatdoesnotoccurintheNWTthereisnoterritorialframeworksowerelookingasatowntocreateourownstrategicplantoim-proveouroutcomes.WhitewhohelpedwritetheproclamationrstdecidedtotakeactioninhercommunityaftershewasintroducedtotheCanadianSportforLifeorganizationataSportNorthFederationconferencelastOctoberamove-mentlookingtoimprovethequalityofsportrecreationacrossthecountry.Usingelementsofthatnationalframeworkshehopestocreatealocalstrategytogetpeo-plemovinginthecommunityfornowandforlife.Thestrategywillfocusondevelopingphysicalliteracythatchildrencanholdontoastheygrowwhileatthesametimeprovid-ingremedialphysicaleducationforadults.Withtheproclamationthatthetowncoun-cilandthemayorhavehadtheforesighttogoaheadandadoptitsreallymeanttoidentifyhowwecangetpeopleusingourfacilitiesWhitesaid.WehaveanabundancewithWoodBuffaloNationalParkandtonnesofspacesandplaceswherepeoplecanbephysicallyactive.Butjustbecausetheresourcesaretheredoesntmeantheyarebeingused.TheplacewhereCanadiansarekindofstrugglingisthisolderagegroupwherewehavealotofolderpeoplewhocannotbeac-tiveforlifebecausetheyveneverdevelopedthephysicalliteracyskillsshesaid.Weenduphavingaverysedentaryolderagepopu-lationwhodontfeellikephysicalactivityisaccessibletothembecausetheydontknowhowtodoitespeciallywomen.AccordingtoanationalreportcardpreparedbyHealthyActiveKidsaninternationalorga-nizationworkingtogetkidsphysicallyactiveCanadaisclosetofailingacrosstheboard.Na-tionalscoresarenohigherthanaCwhenitcomestoorganizedsportparticipationactivetransportationwalkingversusdrivingsed-entarybehavioursandoveralltness.Asaresultobesityratesandtype2diabetesthekindtypicallyknownasadulthoodonsetdiabetesareskyrocketinginchildrenundertheageof12.InisolatedNortherncommuni-tieswherethepriceoffreshnutritiousfoodishighthosenumbersescalateevenmore.Forminghealth-centeredpartnershipsFindingthefundingfortheplananditsini-tiativeswillbeoneofWhitestoppriorities.RecreationinFortSmithismostlysupportedbythetownandthroughMunicipalandCom-munityAffairsthoughWhiteisonthelookoutforadditionalgrantsandfundingopportunities.Whitehasalreadystartedcreatingpartner-shipswiththelocalHealthAuthorityandJBTElementarySchooltorunfreetnessprogramsforyouthandelders.Asherworkprogressesshewillbelookingtoinvolvemorepartnerorganizationswitheducationjusticehealthandofcourserecreationbackgrounds.DependingonthesuccessoftheinitiativeWhitesaidshehopescommunitiesthrough-outtheterritorycanlearnandadaptfromtheworkbeingdoneinFortSmithsotheNorthasawholecanworktogetherinraisingCan-adasgradesinthenextnationalhealthre-portcard.Whiteforoneisveryoptimistic.Ithinkitsverydoableshesaid.RecteamvowstomakeFortSmithhealthiestintheNorthSPORTSRECREATIONHEALTHYACTIVELIVINGPhotocourtesyofTeamNWTPhotoDaliCarmichaelNWTathletesgetriledupatthe2014ArcticWinterGamesheldinFairbanksAlaska.InuvikandtheSouthSlavearecompetingtohostthe2018games.Autum-SageMcFeetersleftNikklasPetersonAndrewWalshCarsonMassonKaskaminandColeEdjilearnbasketballdrillsattheFortSmithreccentresafterschoolprogram.