FALL 2019

It was recognized that participants would benefit exponentially if they were able to establish a longer bond with role models and have the opportunity to foster lifelong friendships.

– Little Sisters in Action, p. 2

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A SEMI-ANNUAL PUBLICATION FROM THE CITY OF SASKATOON’S NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES SECTION

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2 Community News

Little Sisters in ActionEnhanced self confidence, leadership and connecting to traditional teachings from an Elder are the cornerstone of ‘Little Sisters in Action,’ a program for Indigenous girls aged 10 to 14. The City of Saskatoon has been running this program which promotes an active and healthy lifestyle since 2011.

For the first few years, Little Sisters in Action was a one-day event where participants experienced a variety of activities. It was recognized that participants would benefit exponentially if they were able to establish a longer bond with role models and have the opportunity to foster lifelong friendships. So, in 2018, the program evolved from a one-day event to a six-week program to better meet the needs of the community. This model was very effective and was repeated this fall.

The 2019 program offered jigging, Indigenous arts and crafts, track and field, wheelchair basketball and sledge hockey. It was held weekly at the White Buffalo Youth Lodge. It was also a privilege to offer a Confidence Building Workshop with Devon Fiddler, co-founder of SheNative.

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped with our program. We are very proud of the work that is being done around engaging Indigenous youth.

The program supports the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action #90:

We call upon the federal government to ensure that national sports policies, programs, and initiatives are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples, including, but not limited to, establishing: In Collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, stable funding for, and access to, community sports programs that reflect the diverse cultures and traditional sporting activities of Aboriginal peoples.

– Alicia Worm

For more information about Little Sisters in Action, or other Mè Ta Wè Tàn programs, contact Alicia Worm at 306-975-8486 or visit saskatoon.ca/metawetan.

Path to ReconciliationPath to Reconciliation

iAbove: Particpants learn Métis Jigging; Right: Little Sisters in Action was featured on the Fall 2019 Leisure Guide cover.

Community News 3

What’s New?What’s New?

Calling all active (and a little bit silly) kids! Fortnite Dance is a great, fun and new indoor program by the Montgomery Place Community Association. This is not a typical dance class; there is no performance at the end and it is more silly than serious. The class is one hour and covers a few of Fortnite’s dances each class. Kids may already know the popular ones like floss, hype and best mates, but there are plenty of more difficult dances to master plus games like freeze dance with the easier moves.

Lalena Simon leads the class with Jaxon, 13, who is a Fornite super fan. He knows all the dances and together with Lalena’s instructing and dance experience the duo leads a fun class. The younger kids think a teenager teacher is awesome. What a great way to engage youth in the community!

So far, the class is going really well and the kids are enjoying it. They held a “bring a friend” night in hopes of attracting some new dancers. Lalena says, “I would LOVE for this to catch on and be able to offer a beginner class with the easier moves and then an advanced class for the more complicated dances.”

– Lalena Simon

Fortnite Dance takesMontgomery Place by Storm

Above: Participants having a blast at Fortnite Dance; Right: Jaxon in his Cuddle Team Leader costume – a character from the game.

Tracey Bert has been hired as the new Indigenous Inclusion Consultant. She is Cree and Saulteaux from the Soonias and Kakakaway families and is a proud member of Red Pheasant First Nation, Saskatchewan. Tracey has worked and lived alongside Indigenous peoples/communities in both Canada and the US for most of her life. Through her educational background in both Psychology and Project Management and her recent role on the planning committee for the Wicihitowin Indigenous Engagement Conference, Tracey “knows and understands the challenges and barriers that many Indigenous peoples face in achieving personal success.” She sees how

important it is to BE and FEEL connected to your community and looks forward to developing programs, initiatives and opportunity for Indigenous Peoples. Tracey aims to improve participation in public programs and services and also plans to move towards meeting and implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action through collaboration with various city departments. Outside of work Tracey enjoys beading, movies, spending time in Oklahoma and being with family. She enjoys attending cultural activities and sporting events across Canada and the United States. Tracey can be reached at 306-986-3093 or tracey.bert@saskatoon.ca for further communication.

New Addition:Welcome Tracey Bert

4 Community News

What’s New?What’s New?

In April of 2019, one of our longest-standing volunteers, Ariane Zerr, decided to step away after 30 years of volunteering with the Avalon Community Association. This has had a huge impact as Ariane has been a touchstone in the community for a long time. Ariane knew everyone and everyone knew Ariane. If you had a question about the community you would ask Ariane.

Over the years Ariane has done every position from president to newsletter coordinator. The only exception is rink coordinator, although we joke that she probably would have done that too if she was asked. Ariane was instrumental in making Avalon’s biggest event a reality. The AvaLawn AfFair has grown from a small summer gathering to a 10-year-running fair that attracts more than 1,000 people!

In May, Ariane was honoured at City Council. Mayor Charlie Clark and Councilor Mairin Loewen presented her a certificate thanking her for her volunteerism and service

to the Avalon community. This honour is well deserved for all the hard work and time she has put into her community. Her wit and knowledge of all things Avalon will certainly be missed at board meetings. Best of luck in your new adventures and congratulations on your award Ariane!

– Kevin Ariss

Long Time Community Volunteer Recognized

Ariane Zerr with Mayor Charlie Clark and Councilor Mairin Loewin

Rink Improvement GrantsThe City of Saskatoon offers a Rink Improvement Grant for community associations. This grant is used to help complete a variety of projects on the outdoor community rinks. A maximum of $7,500 per group is available and the City requires the community to contribute at least 10 per cent of the project cost (or $750 whichever is greater). Very often, the community contributes much more money to the project.

The deadline for applying for this grant is April 30th of each year. Your community consultant is available to answer any further questions you may have.

In recent years, this grant has become quite competitive and groups have had to become more creative with fundraising and contributions from their community and local companies.

Below are some examples of the great projects completed using the Rink Improvement Grant this season.

Wildwood Community AssociationThis year, the Wildwood Community Association worked together to make many improvements on their rink. With a $2,500 rink improvement grant from the City of Saskatoon and additional support from the community, Wildwood’s community rink is looking sharp!

Seasonal Fun!Seasonal Fun!

Wildwood volunteers hard at work

Community News 5

Seaonal Fun!Seaonal Fun!

They organized a work bee to replace rotting boards and repaint the rink, inside and out. The group of 25 volunteers provided paint, brushes and rollers to contribute to this worthy cause. Madsen Fence replace the worn and bowing chain-link fence.

It’s amazing what can be accomplished with a strong community spirit and some support from the City. Great job, Wildwood Community Association!

– Mark Planchot

Caswell Hill Community AssociationIt has been years since the Caswell Hill Community Association has had new lights installed at their outdoor rink. Not only are the lights old, but many of them are burned out. The new rink coordinator, Trevor, recognized the need for an update. After researching the best options, their old, dim lights were upgraded to new, bright, environmentally LED ones.

The hope is these new lights will allow community members to safely use the rink much later in the day. Thank you Caswell Hill for the safe, green initiative!

– Heidi Estrada

Hudson Bay Park/Mayfair/Kelsey-Woodlawn Community AssociationThe rink at Henry Kelsey School has provided thousands of hours of activity over the years. It was been used for skating, hockey, summer games, garage sales and more. In 2016, the Hudson Bay Park/Mayfair/Kelsey-Woodlawn Community Association began their dream planning with a thought to update the aging rink.

It was not long when the realization set in that the rink was beyond upgrading and needed to be replaced. Fundraising began and was a challenge. However, the community rallied and donations from individuals and businesses began to come in. Fundraisers like steak nights, buy-a-board and draws began to contribute and finally a City of Saskatoon rink improvement grant rounded out the final amount.

After many hours of dedicated volunteer work, their funding goal of $21,500.00 was reached. The rebuild took four weekends and more than 40 volunteers came to help. This is a great starting point, and the group is thinking about the next challenge which is to replace the lighting with cost-effective LED lights.

Congratulations on your great achievement! And remember, winter is coming.

– David Godwin

HBPMKW before

HBPMKW after

Caswell Hill after

Caswell Hill after

6 Community News

Special EventsSpecial Events

Winter Play ProgramFREE! The City of Saskatoon is pleased to present a lineup of exciting new programs for the 2020 Winter Play Program. Each is a great opportunity for children to engage in physical activity while developing new and improved skills in classic Canadian or Indigenous winter sports. All equipment is provided.

Learn to Curl8-12 yrs. Develop skills in this classic Canadian sport involving sliding stones down a sheet of ice towards a target. Participants are asked to bring clean, indoor gym shoes. CN Curling Club (1602 Chappell Drive) Jan 27 M 01:00 PM-05:00 PM Mar 9 M 01:00 PM-05:00 PM

Learn to Snowshoe*6-12 yrs. Develop skills in this low-impact sport while exploring one of Saskatoon’s community parks. Dr. Seager Wheeler Park Rec Unit (2304 Richardson Road)Feb 1 Sa 01:00 PM-04:00 PM

Learn to Snowskate*6-12 yrs. Snowskating is a hybrid winter sport that combines elements of snowboarding and skateboards; think of skateboarding on snow! Greystone Park Rec Unit (2711 Main Street)Feb 8 Sa 01:00 PM-04:00 PM

Learn to Altai Skis* 6-12 yrs. Altai Skis is a hybrid ski that combines the maneuverability of snow shoes with the gliding qualities of cross-country skis. Montgomery Park Rec Unit (3229 Caen Street)Feb 9 Su 01:00 PM-04:00 PM

Snowshoe Making10-12 yrs. An Elder will guide youth through the art of making the snowshoes while explaining their history and importance within Indigenous culture. Saskatoon Indian & Métis Friendship Centre (168 Wall Street)Jan 21 Tu 05:30 PM-08:30 PM

*Sessions will be cancelled if the temperature reaches -25°C or below with the windchill.

– Amanda Gustafson

i For more information about the Winter Play Program contact Amanda Gustafson at 306-975-1429. To register, visit leisureonline.saskatoon.ca or call any Leisure Centre.

Rink MuralsDid you know there are currently 52 community association owned and operated outdoor rinks in Saskatoon? In the winter months, these rinks are a great place for people to enjoy connecting with their neighbours and being active outdoors.

Unfortunately, the rinks can also be seen as a blank canvas for graffiti. In the past, there have been different initiatives to help discourage graffiti vandalism on the outdoor rinks. One of the most popular initiatives is creating a mural which adds to the aesthetics of the area while discouraging graffiti. This past year, two rinks have undergone mural projects.

North Park/Richmond Heights Rink MuralWith an eye on creating experiential learning for students,

the North Park Wilson School approached the local community association for permission to paint a mural on the outdoor community rink in October 2018. The North Park/Richmond Heights Community Association welcomed the request and the opportunity to connect community and school.

With approval in place, the school started to plan with a local artist, school staff and students to bring this vision to life. Students were asked to share ideas for the mural design. It was decided that the mural would visually display the four main values of the school — community, creativity, collaboration and citizenship. This would be done in graffiti-style lettering using spray paint.

The first step was to create a clean canvas for the project, and the inside and outside of the rink boards were given a fresh coat of white paint. Grade 5 to 8 students were then

Community InitiativesCommunity Initiatives

Community News 7

Community InitiativesCommunity Initiatives

given the opportunity to sign up and work directly with the artist. Thirty-six students participated. They were able to engage in a specialized learning opportunity about spray paint technique (not something they are typically able to explore due to the restraints of being inside) and teamwork.The end result was a beautiful and colourful mural that students, staff and community can be proud of and take shared responsibility in maintaining.

North Park Wilson School is a specialized visual arts school that has worked at creating artistic spaces. The school hallways and classrooms have brilliant displays of creativity and imagination and this project allowed that vision to cascade outside, reflecting both the four values and the true spirit of the school and community.

– Tanya Napper

Above/right: North Park Wilson School’s completed mural project.

Westmount Rink MuralThe Westmount Local Area Plan final report presented in 2011. One of the recommendations for enhanced community safety was a mural on the community rink. The aim is to deter graffiti vandalism and encourage community interaction and pride in the neighbourhood. Westmount Community Association received funding assistance in 2018 from the City Planning and Development, Neighbourhood Safety Section.

With this funding, they commissioned community resident and artist Gail Taman to engage Westmount Community School and neighbourhood residents in the production of a mural depicting life in Westmount. The mural consists of

Completed mural – Winter Fun at the Rink

8 Community News

Community InitiativesCommunity Initiatives

more than twenty panels attached to the community skating rink located on Westmount Community School grounds.

If you are in the area, head over to the outdoor rink to check out this fantastic piece. – David Godwin

Completed mural – Westmount School Activity Completed mural – Westmount Park

Right/Above: Completed King George murals

King George Community MuralA mural in the King George neighbourhood entitled “We Love it All!” was commissioned under the community art program. It celebrates youthfulness and the innocence of children in the King George neighbourhood. Inspired by input from neighbourhood children, the large mural with flowing curves is installed around the recreation building in St Andrews Park. The images are of semi-abstracted shapes with bright colours and children from different cultures and nationalities playing together. The wall mural enhances the gentleness of the warm prairie summer, and brings brilliance and cheerfulness during the cold winter months to the King George neighbourhood.

– David Godwin

Community News 9

Training & TipsTraining & Tips

Winter Fun DaysOutdoor fun days are not just for summer! Read on for some great activities that can be added to your event to make your winter fun day exciting and unique.

• Warm up and host a hot dog and marshmallow roast over a fire (don’t forget to get a fire permit)

• Sledding

• Cross-country skiing

• Snowshoeing

• Snow painting

• Set up an obstacle course with jumps, tunnels etc.

• Host an outdoor scavenger hunt

• Snowball throwing contest with a target

• Yukigassen (also known as snowball dodgeball)

• Snow-person building contest. Then, play pin-the-nose on the snow person

• Snow and ice sculpture building contest

• Horse-drawn carriage ridges

• And of course, a good old-fashioned snow ball fight!

Ask about hiring a local company to host a learning event with supplied equipment. Talk to your community consultant to learn more.

Searchable Function for Community Association Programs

Our amazing community association volunteers create hundreds of affordable neighbourhood programs each season. City of Saskatoon staff worked hard this past summer to create a dynamic way to promote programs while making it easier for the public to find their perfect community association program. There is a NEW search function available at saskatoon.ca/communityassociations!

With this new search function, residents can search all community association programs across Saskatoon or specifically for their association’s programs. This is also a handy tool for program planning; volunteers can see comparable programs, pricing and potential new programming ideas. The search function drives residents to the community association’s webpage where they are will find more details and registration information. If you need help improving or updating your website, please let your community consultant know.

Thank you for all you do, and for offering over 800 programs for all ages in fall 2019!

For information on upcoming training opportunities, please contact your Community Consultant.

i

New!New!

There are many ways you can volunteer for your Community Association:

• coach soccer • flood the outdoor rink • clean up your park • help organize special events

• take meeting minutes

• write a newsletter article

VOLUNTEERMake it Happen!

...and more!

saskatoon.ca/volunteer

Completed mural – Westmount Park

U of S Lands - SouthManagement Area

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PARKRIDGE /BLAIRMORE S.C.

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LAWSON HEIGHTS /LAWSON HEIGHTS S.C.

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HOLLISTON /HAULTAIN (east half)

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Who’s Who in Community DevelopmentWho’s Who in Community Development

Tenille ThomsonSocial Development Section Manager306-975-3186

Tracey BertIndigenous Diversity & Inclusion Consultant306-975-7813

Sherry DeBrayGrants Administration Clerk306-975-3383

Alicia WormIndigenous Recreation Programmer306-975-8486

April SoraImmigration & Inclusion Consultant306-975-8459

Shradha KarkiClerk Steno306-975-9005

Henry LauArts & Culture Consultant306-657-8671

Athanas NjeruLocal Immigration Partnership Coodinator306-986-3055

Roy LavalleeSocial Development Consultant306-986-3026

Kathy AllenArts & Grants Consultant306-975-3391

Kevin KitchenCommunity Development Manager306-975-3181

Lisa ThibodeauNeighbourhood Services Section Manager306-975-2289

Heidi EstradaCommunity Consultant306-975-3376

David GodwinCommunity Consultant

306-975-3651

Jan Cunningham Community Consultant306-975-3379

Shane CarterCommunity Consultant

306-975-3380

Shelly Panko-SchultzCommunity Consultant306-975-3381

Kevin Ariss Community Consultant 306-975-3375

Mark PlanchotCommunity Consultant

306-975-2942

Karen FarmerCommunity Consultant306-975-2952

For general inquiriescall 306-975-3378

Amanda PerreaultClerk Steno306-975-3378

Sandra GiommiClerk Steno306-975-3378