Nunavut youth program pivots due to Omicron

Kids in Sanikiluaq spent last week building igloos and playing their own version of the Olympic games, thanks to a winter youth program that had to change course during the Omicron wave of COVID-19.

Quentin Sala, 22, organized the activities. “It’s one of my favourite things to do,” he said.

Curling, street hockey, skiing and scavenger hunts were some other activities taking place last week, during a professional development week in which schools were closed in Sanikiluaq.

Sala is one of 46 youth organizers for the Recreation and Parks Association of Nunavut’s winter youth program, which is offered in 10 communities from February and until April 8.

Sala said he enjoys being an organizer because he cares for his community and its youth.

“It’s always been my passion to run programs and [be there] for Sanikiluaq,” he said.

The winter youth program aims to provide activities for kids, as well as to build leadership skills and self-esteem of the youth involved in organizing the activities, said Dawn Currie, the association’s executive director.

It has been run for four years, she said.

Some adjustments had to be made to the winter program with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 led to a big increase of cases in Nunavut and led to more public health restrictions.

Instead of meeting and planning the program in Winnipeg in November, the recreation and parks association met on bi-weekly Zoom meetings to figure out a new plan, Currie said.

“We talked about what we can do instead of what we can’t,” she said.

Activities like community walks have replaced activities that would have taken place indoors, Currie said. Typically the program takes place from January through March each year.

Sala has been one of the stand-out youth organizers, Currie said.

Sala said that his group has used COVID-tracking sheets and followed rules on masks and social distancing to ensure the games follow the territory’s guidelines.

There were 14 cases of COVID-19 in Sanikiluaq as of Monday morning. The hamlet’s schools have been operating at half capacity since Jan. 21.

The parks and recreation association has received funding from the Government of Nunavut and other organizations, including regional Inuit associations, Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. and Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., she said. But the majority of the work is done by youth organizers like Sala, she said.

“The delivery of these programs happens because of these young leaders.”