Pictured above: Recreation Coordinator Quentin Sala (left) and Recreation staff member Kaigalak Kigalak receiving the Greener Tomorrow grant from Sanikiluaq Northern relief store manager Paula Neuendorf
Sanikiluaq, NU can look forward to the introduction of a lacrosse program to its recreational activities, thanks to a Greener Tomorrow fund disbursement of $5,814.
The community’s Recreation Coordinator, Quentin Sala, worked with the Sanikiluaq Northern store to locate and obtain the appropriate equipment. While the bulk of the funding will go towards lacrosse jerseys, nets, sticks and other necessary protective equipment, part of it will make it possible to bring in lacrosse coaches from Winnipeg to sit in and teach the game on a weekly basis.
Everyone in the community is invited to participate, with special encouragement given to youth and children who wish to experiment with hobbies in line with an active lifestyle. As much as it is a space for residents to socialize and exercise with a friendly game, the program will also introduce competitive components once pandemic restrictions are lifted.
Sala shares that he has plans to bring in more camps for community members in addition to the weekly games that he has scheduled throughout the year. There are also plans in place to bring in additional professional coaches to host workshops and training sessions, along with tentative plans to fly out athletes from Sanikiluaq to compete in other communities.
“The Municipality of Sanikiluaq would like to thank our Northern store for sponsoring our upcoming program,” writes Sala. “This will benefit our recreational programming for years to come. It is really good to see companies supporting programs that directly help our community members.”
Northern/NorthMart runs the Greener Tomorrow program, intending to eliminate the use of plastic grocery bags. To encourage the use of environmentally friendly alternatives, customers are charged a fee for plastic bags, which are collected throughout the year and are reinvested back into the community to support environmental and social programs.