Yellowknife strike has big impact on young athletes in the city

Northwest Territories speed skaters won big at the Arctic Winter Games this year.

But for the Canada Winter Games, which started this week, they are at a distinct disadvantage.

A municipal strike underway since Feb. 8 has closed all city facilities in Yellowknife, including both arenas and the Ruth Inch Memorial Pool. It's meant the team got barely any ice time for practice in the two weeks before the games.

The team had its last skate in Yellowknife on Feb. 7, the day before the strike began.

Jody Pellissey is the sports director of Speed Skating NWT. 

In the 10 days they had before the Canada Winter Games began, she said the team was able to book some dry-land training at École St. Joseph School, and do some technical drills on the ice at the arena in Behchokǫ̀.

But that arena doesn't have the crash pads that speed skaters need when they are racing. 

"Going into a big competition where they're racing, they're a little bit behind now with that two weeks missed," she said. 

Speed Skating NWT also cancelled its annual N.W.T. speed skating championships, which were scheduled to start on March 4. Learn to Skate programming that Speed Skating NWT usually runs for younger kids has been cancelled altogether.

Pellissey says the situation is especially discouraging following years of restrictions due to COVID-19. 

"It's really disappointing to be back to normal, if you will, and now we're not able to skate."

Losing the championship meet, she said, was particularly disappointing for clubs from other communities. 

"This is their one big meet a year that they get to travel for and meet up with their old and new friends and we just aren't able to do that this year."

Justin Nelson has seen the impact of facility closures firsthand. His three kids are all competitive speed skaters and swimmers. 

"It's never a good time, but this is a time where it's affecting their chances to compete successfully down south," he said. 

One of his daughters,Morgan, is planning on competing in the Canadian Western Youth Championship in short track speed skating, and he said that without the arena, her training will be affected.

His other daughter, Kara, missed a chance to qualify for the Alberta Provincial Trials swim meet when the N.W.T. territorial swim championship, planned in Yellowknife for Feb. 10, was cancelled.

"As a parent, you know, you like to see your kids out there getting some exercise and doing things that they enjoy and it's unfortunate that they can't do that for the time being."

'Just kind of wait and ... hope'

Hockey teams in Yellowknife are facing the same challenge. 

The Yellowknife Minor Hockey Association cancelled the Chris Bergman tournament for junior players, which was scheduled to start on Feb. 10. It would have been the first time the tournament happened since 2019; for the previous three years, the event was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Mike Lalonde is the vice-president of the Yellowknife Minor Hockey Association. 

He says that while the closures are disappointing, coaches and players have found ways to keep practising their skills. 

Some teams have been holding dry-land training in local gyms or fitness clubs. A lot of the players are also getting out and playing on Yellowknife's outdoor rinks.

"We understand this is part of the process," he said of the workers. "We respect that.

"We just kind of wait and … hope that an acceptable resolution for both sides can be reached and we can have some time to get back on the ice."