CANMORE – Spirit North has a lot to celebrate this month.
The organization, which began as a way to improve the health and wellbeing of Indigenous youth through cross-country skiing, is not only celebrating 10 years of hard work, but the board and chief executive officer, former Olympian Beckie Scott, recently opened brand new office space in Canmore.
Scott described the new space and growth of the program as an exciting milestone for Spirit North.
"We are so delighted to have our own space and it is really feels like growth," Scott said after officially cutting the ribbon to open the space at 1205 Bow Valley Trail.
"The organization, as it has grown and we have built up programs on the ground and across the country, now we have had to keep up internally as well. So this is a real reflection of our efforts to manage our capacity internally and make sure we have staff in place to work and be productive."
Scott and current board chair Barbara Conkie launched the organization 10 years ago as Ski Fit North with a single program in Lac La Biche, Alta. In 2017, it received charity status and became Spirit North.
While the initial focus was to engage Indigenous youth with sport and play through cross-country skiing, Scott said now the program supports all land based sports and has expanded outside the winter months as well.
"We are growing wider and we are growing deeper," Scott said. "We are growing across the country and we are in five provinces now, but we are also growing deeper in that we are growing outside winter programs."
Spirit North has supported and help create programs for mountain biking, running, hiking, nature walks with elders and continues to create opportunities for Indigenous youth to get involved with cross-country skiing. In 2018-19, it expanded into Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario and partnered with 15 new communities.
Scott said when Spirit North engages with new communities, it is important to the organization does that through collaboration and consultation that respects traditions, beliefs and values.
"When we go into a new community now, we take two days and run a workshop with elders and community members, teachers and students and really sit down and try to understand where they are coming from and what their vision of an ideal program outcome would be," she said. "It just really recognizes the important self determination piece in all of this and also ensures sustainability, which is really important for a health and wellness program.
"Our fundamental driver and intention is to get kids active on the land in a supportive and enjoyable experience."
What Spirit North does is in high demand, with communities approaching the organization to launch new programs across the country. Scott said demand exceeds capacity at the moment, but they make every effort to reach as many communities as they can.
Conkie said having an office in Canmore supports the success of the organization – which has gone from supporting 50 Indigenous youth in its first year to 6,000.
"Over a 10 year period, we have grown slowly and deliberately because it is a very special thing we are doing with these kids, getting them out on the snow, on their bikes, or running outside," she said.
The Bow Valley is not only home to Spirit North's offices now, but it has supported the program throughout the past decade. That includes support from the Banff Canmore Community Foundation and successful fundraising events.
In its 2018 annual report, the organization reported $1.8 million in income from fundraising ($36,000), government grants ($1.1 million), foundations ($324,000), and corporations ($383,000). The programming it offers on the ground represents 90 per cent ($1.3 million) of the organizations $1.4 million in expenses, while administration costs are 8.4 per cent ($124,000) and fundraising $17,500.
This Friday (Oct. 25), Spirit North is hosting a Friendraiser Concert at Silvertip Resort at 7 p.m. featuring a performance by The Wardens.
The organization's goal, said Conkie, is to reach 10,000 Indigenous youth a year with its mission to empower and inspire them through sport and play.
