NAIG canoeing trials continued in Prince Albert on Saturday. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW staff)

By Logan Lehmann

NAIG canoeing trials

Second of three NAIG canoeing trials continue in Prince Albert

Aug 21, 2022 | 8:00 AM

Hundreds of people gathered on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River on Saturday as canoeing trial number two for the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) got underway.

According to head coach Bella Stevenson, athletes from as far north as Wollaston Lake and as far south as Regina came to compete for an opportunity of a lifetime.

“These kids are competing to go to Halifax to represent Team Saskatchewan at the North American Indigenous Games,” she said. “All together, there will be 36 athletes going next year in male and female groups of U14, U16, and U19.”

Next year’s event will be the first time since 2019 that the games have been held as the last few years were postponed due to COVID, something that Stevenson believes is an unfair thing for the athletes.

“We were supposed to have these games last year already, but COVID canceled everything,” she said. “Athletes who tried out and made the cut never got to go last year so now they have to go back and try to (qualify) again.”

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These trials were the second of a series of three different canoeing trials for next year’s NAIG. The first trial was in La Ronge back on July 23. This is also the only trial that will be done on a river, something that Stevenson thinks will throw the athletes off.

“This is the first time that majority of these athletes have raced on a river,” she said. “Normally we do these on a lake where the water is more calm but here, the athletes have their work cut out for them.”

The next NAIG canoeing trial is set for September 17 in Sturgeon Lake.

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logan.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @lloganlehmann