By Michael Joel-Hansen

Canada Winter Games

Strong P.A. representation on Team Sask.

Feb 11, 2019 | 3:14 PM

The 2019 Canada Winter Games start in Red Deer this week.

Team Saskatchewan is taking a contingent of 311 people. This includes 215 athletes, 72 coaches and 24 mission staff. According to Team Saskatchewan, there are athletes from 58 different communities part of the provincial team.

A number of Prince Albert athletes are making the trip to Red Deer. P.A. athletes will be compete in sports ranging from judo to hockey.

The Gateway to the North is especially well represented on the province’s cross country ski team, which has Matthew Gill, Jessica Gill and Kryztle Shewchuk from Prince Albert competing. The three local athletes are joined by La Ronge’s Taylor Harrington. La Ronge’s Michio Green will also be on the cross country ski team and competing in the biathlon.

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The P.A. connections don’t stop with the athletes as the skiers will be joined by coach Colette Bourgonie.

Speaking to paNOW, Bourgonie said there are a number of local competitors to keep an eye on.

“Jessica Gill is looking great, Mat Gill, both from Prince Albert, right now Matt’s training in B.C., but Jessica Gill is out there (Little Red) working hard all the time,” she said.

Bourgonie will spend her time working with two skiers, including P.A.’s Kryztle Shewchuk. This is not the first trip the local coach has made to the Canada Winter Games, as Bourgonie made the trip in 2015 where she coached Britany Hudak.

When looking at why there is such a sizeable P.A. contingent on the cross country ski team, Bourgonie gives lots of credit to the local facilities at Little Red Park.

“When I first moved here, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh what a beautiful cross country facility,’” she said.

Along with the park, Bourgonie credits Bill and Joan Jeffrey for growing the sport in the area and involving locals.

Looking forward to the cross country competition, Bourgonie said she and Shewchuk had the chance to get out and test the course at the Western Canada games.

“Hopefully they’ve had enough snow,” she said.

Besides cross country, there is local representation on the provincial hockey team. Three athletes will be on the male team in Logan Cox, Gabriel Klassen and Marek Schneider. Meanwhile Abby Soyko is the lone representative on the female team.

Shellbrook is represented in hockey too as Ashton Ferster laces up for the boys hockey team. Besides hockey, Shellbrook’s Ashlyn Schmitz is competing on the figure skating side.

Two more P.A.’s athletes will be competing in the judo portion of the games in Jannessa Keays and Miranda Bellisle. Meanwhile, Thomas Rusk will represent on the slopes as he competes in snowboarding.

Other towns for the northeast are also represented in the Saskatchewan contingent, with E. Fitzgerald from Rosthern competing in squash, while Jessie Georget from Domremy is part of the male gymnastics team.

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Photo: submitted photo/teamsask.ca

MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn