Acknowledging the past

St. Vital

Sage Creek

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This article was published 09/08/2023 (969 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There will be lots happening at St. Vital Curling Club this month.

The club, at 286 Regal Ave., is preparing to hold an open-house-style celebration on Thursday, Aug. 24, at which officials and club directors will publicly acknowledge that the club is located on treaty land.

The announcement will coincide with the southeast Winnipeg-based club’s junior summer curling camp, also being held that week, as well as the NISO Classic mixed doubles event that’s set to begin that evening. The celebration is free and everyone is welcome, said Patti Ulrich, SVCC’s vice-president and director of marketing and fundraising.

Ulrich, who lives in Sage Creek, said organizers are excited to have Métis entertainment in the form of the Asham Stompers lined up for the event, and there will also be food offerings and a short program that will include Indigenous leaders and speakers.

Speakers will include Rob Monkman and Jason Pruden, the club’s secretary and past president.

The ‘niso’ in the title of the mixed doubles event is the Cree word for ‘two.’

“The declaration is important for us,” Ulrich said, noting the club is committed to taking steps towards reconciliation and that it’s important to learn from things that have happened in the past.

“We wanted to make this declaration meaningful and important, and it’s significant that we look at the historical and cultural part of it.”

As visitors on Aug. 24 might expect, the mixed doubles event — which will run until Aug. 27 —which will consist of two-player teams, and it’s a category of curling that continues to grow in popularity, Ulrich said, not least because of the success of St. Vital Curling Club royalty Jennifer Jones and her husband Brent Laing.

“We’ve never felt better about holding an event, ever,” Ulrich said, adding she’s grateful for the support and guidance of the Manitoba Métis Federation in organizing the event.

“Sport is awesome in many ways, and especially because it can help build bridges.”

While Ulrich and other directors and volunteers have been busy organizing the upcoming event, the club hosted the curling competition of the 2023 World Police & Fire Games, which were held last week in Winnipeg.

Visit www.stvitalcurling.ca for more information.