Inuvik, Old Crow welcome Olympic torch

The Olympic flame is on its way to western Nunavut and Yellowknife on Thursday, after spending the previous day in two communities above the Arctic Circle.

Residents in both Inuvik, N.W.T., and Old Crow, Yukon, followed their local torch relays Wednesday with celebrations showcasing their aboriginal cultures.

In Inuvik, where temperatures felt like -30 C with the windchill, dancers jigged to fiddle music while people took part in an Inuvialuit blanket toss led by Abel Tingmiak.

"I'm representing my people and the whole North around here," said Tingmiak, who was also the final torchbearer in the Inuvik torch relay.

Cultural delegation

Tingmiak will be part of a northern cultural delegation at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver next year, as officials across the North work to ensure strong northern representation at the games.

"As Inuit across the country, we're been working on making sure that our presence is known and our presence will be felt at the Olympics," said Nellie Cournoyea, CEO of the Inuvialuit Regional Corp. in Inuvik.

The problem, Cournoyea said, is that there won't be enough funding to send everyone who wants to be in the northern cultural group.

There are currently no Northwest Territories athletes on the Canadian Olympic team, although a handful of athletes have yet to find out early next year if they will qualify.

But Sharon Firth — a homegrown cross-country skier who competed in four Winter Olympics — said more can be done to help northern and aboriginal athletes get on the Olympic team.

Firth was one of seven Olympic skiiers who stared out in T.E.S.T., the Territorial Experimental Ski Training program in the Northwest Territories during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

"They can do a lot more, you know, getting aboriginal athletes into mainstream sports," she said, adding that she would like to see young athletes in remote northern communities get more encouragement and financial support.

'All pumped up now'

Before arriving in Inuvik, the Olympic torch spent Wednesday afternoon in Old Crow, home of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, where many of the community's 300 residents turned out for the torch relay and a Gwitchin cultural celebration.

"Oh, I loved it. It was really exciting, I really enjoyed it," said Erika Tizya, who ran the first leg of the relay in Old Crow under sunny skies but cold winds.

"It was nice to all the community out supporting us and that really made me feel proud."

Torchbearer Alan Benjamin, who ran his leg of the relay in traditional snowshoes, said he just wished the Winter Olympics had a competition for snowshoe racers over the age of 50.

"It's pretty awesome. I'm all pumped up now," Benjamin said. "Now it's going to keep me motivated and training, and I'll be a snowshoer forever."

Residents put on a Gwitchin fashion show after the relay, along with fiddle music and jigging.

Local volunteers pulled the visitors from the Vancouver Olympics up on the dance floor before giving them a taste of local salmon and caribou.

"I'm telling you, this has been such an amazing day," Old Crow relay organizer Lorraine Netro enthused.

"What can I say? I'm going to be in tears right now if I keep going. It went so well."

The torch was on its way Thursday to Kugluktuk, Nunavut, before going to Yellowknife and the nearby communities of N'dilo and Dettah later that afternoon.