Hello from Halifax!

Investing in the Pursuit of Excellence
by Pat Lechelt, Chef de Mission, Team Alberta
It was a remarkable opening week of competition at the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax – Team Alberta racked up 39 medals, with 11 of them earned on the second day!

I am very proud of our athletes, and proud that the Government of Alberta has supported them by investing in international standard facilities at the Canmore Nordic Centre and Canada Olympic Park.

The investment in these Olympic legacy venues has paid dividends for Team Alberta’s young biathletes who swept the podium in all of the individual men’s races. Leading the charge was our flag bearer Scott Gow, taking home gold in all four of his races. In all, Alberta’s biathletes took the podium 11 times.

Week one success spread beyond the biathlon range. Speed skaters sprinted to 10 medals around the outdoor Oval,and our freestyle skiers showed great form with four podium finishes. Undefeated throughout the round-robin, ringette takes home silver, and women’s curling throws for gold tonight against BC. Alberta’s hockey men kept their medal streak alive as the only team to have medaled in six consecutive editions of the Games after a bronze medal win over BC.

Stay tuned for more great performances in week 2 for Team Alberta!

Get connected with Team Alberta at the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax on Facebook . The Facebook page highlights athlete performances, photos, quotes, and provides information on Team Alberta’s progress in its quest for the podium.

Check out SIRC's Canada Games webpage for more information!

University of Alberta to Provide Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Certificate

The Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation and the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada have joined forces to offer a new certificate for students geared towards Aboriginal sport and recreation, starting the fall of 2011. The first of its kind in Canada, the program is designed to offer core courses from both faculties and will provide graduates with an enhancement to their degrees, expanding their knowledge in the field of Aboriginal Peoples’ health and wellness through sport and recreation.



Research shows that participation in sport and physical activity is an important factor in improving the mental and physical well-being of youth, and with the rapid growth in Aboriginal youth, these qualified students will now go into these communities with relevant skills and qualifications. Acknowledging that there is a great deal of culture that needs to be respected and understood, the university felt that the students needed to learn certain protocols in order to work in Aboriginal communities by knowing how to better handle cultural sensitivities.



The students will graduate with their degree, but now also with a certificate that will provide them with the precise tools to better enhance their leadership in the area of sport and recreation, specifically focused in Aboriginal communities, in so doing, creating more success. This certificate in Aboriginal sport and recreation is a timely addition to the academic programs on the Edmonton campus and is open to all students at the University of Alberta provided they can fit it in with their course of study, and their particular degree permits them to enroll in it.



For more information on Aboriginal education, health and fitness, please visit SIRC.