RECREATION N & EVENTS

Message from the GM of Recrea on & Culture

Denis Bento

Happy Valen ne’s Day!

There is some excellent news to share with you. One of my goals when I started this job, was to get a new floor for the Rec. Centre Gymnasium so community members could have a sustainable place for recrea onal ac vi es and events. In coopera on with Administra on and Council, we were able to secure funding to have a new gymnasium floor. We expect construc on begin this summer.

February and March will be busy with many rec centre and arena ac vi es. The seniors trip to Whitehorse is an excellent example of the dedica on and hard work of the Rec. Staff. The seniors will spend a few days in Whitehorse par cipa ng in many ac vi es such as winter horse back riding, glass blowing, bowling, museum tours, and more.

We have applied for the CPRA Employment Experience Grant; this grant aims to hire a couple of youths to work in the recrea on department. This a great opportunity for the community to provide jobs to our youth. Once approved for this grant, we will post the job posi ons online.

Last but not least, Faro’s Annual Ice Worm Squirm is happening March 3-4. This year should give the Recrea on Department more freedom to have many ac vi es as the pandemic restric ons are no longer in place – we heard the community feedback, and we are bringing back the Ice/Snow Sculpture Compe on; this compe on is before my me, but I heard great stories about it. So get your family or friends to help you get an ice/snow sculpture ready; prizes will be available for First, Second, and Third Place, plus a photo of your ice/snow sculpture in our monthly newsle er and bragging rights! The Complete Event detail and I nerary are available online at faro.ca. Have a great February!

Ages 6 to 12

Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

Faro Youth Group

Ke le Café Items for Sale

¨ Faro Ke le Blend Coffee: 1 lb bag $20.00

¨ Ceramic Coffee Mug: $15.00

¨ Canvas Tote: $25.00

Fundraising items for sale at the Rec. Centre! Ke le Café will be open soon, watch for flyers!

Myka already had these quali es when she started her posi on working with children at the Kids Club a erschool program in Faro, Yukon. But when she completed her work term, she walked away with new skills that she learned on the job - including a greater sense of responsibility, a passion for working with children, and how to prepare for a job interview.

“Having this opportunity meant gaining more confidence,” says Myka, adding that the role immediately appealed to her when she first saw it. “I wanted a job, but one that involved kids because I really like kids. I thought it was going to be a good job for me.”

Her posi on with the Faro community’s Kids Club was funded by the Canadian Parks and Recrea on Associaon’s Youth Employment Experience program. This program, funded by the Government of Canada, is designed to help parks and recrea on organiza ons build capacity, while crea ng employment and skills building opportuni es for youth in the sector.

As part of her job, Myka would help bring children from their school to the town’s community centre, which is located next to the school. Working alongside recreaon staff, she o en played games with the children and helped with cra s and cultural ac vi es.

“We’d all go to the gym and start playing ac vi es, like tag or hide-and-seek. A er the ac vi es we’d go and have a snack, and then do some more ac vi es,” she says, adding that the experience taught her pa ence and how to work with children.

“I learned that kids are handful,” she laughs.

Denis Bento, the general manager of recrea on and culture for the Town of Faro, says Myka was also given the opportunity to work with a mentor in the town’s recrea on department.

“The mentor was responsible for giving her direc ons, and making sure she was ge ng everything she needed from the program,” he says, adding that Myka also learned on-the-job skills from two other employees. “The goal was to ensure Myka had an opportunity to learn from many employees and also expand her network.”

Bento says that the funding made a huge difference to the small Yukon town which is located 359km from Whitehorse and has a popula on of roughly 500.

It meant that the community could add more resources to provide a er-school recrea onal programming to children in the area, he says.

“We always strive to provide new ac vi es to the community,” Denis explains. “We have the energy and the mo va on, however one of the things we’re always looking for are resources. With the help of the CPRA Youth Employment Experience, we could hire an employee to help us run the Kids Club program.”

He also says Myka brought enthusiasm and leadership to the role, and children in the program had the chance to learn a lot from the teenager.

“Some mes when the kids leave school for the a erschool program, they’re red and don’t have the energy. But with Myka, they were happy,” Denis says, adding that Myka led great ac vi es for the kids such as teaching them how to draw. “It was really nice seeing the kids learn new skills and learning new things. It was fantasc.”

Kara Went, Myka’s guardian, says it was wonderful to see the impact that the job made on Myka – and adds that the experience helped her prepare for the future.

“She’s going to be an adult in a few more years, and it made us very happy to know that one day she’s going to go out into the workforce and she’s going to do just fine,” Kara says

Friday, March 3rd

10:00–11:00 am

OPEN GYM ACTIVITY BY FARO PARENT & TOT GROUP

Bring your kid (0-4 years old) to play in the Rec. Center Gymnasium. Bouncing Castles and toys will be available.

3:45-4:45 p.m.

SLEDDING AT THE EFFY CROFT PARK

Bring your sleds and have fun sledding at the Effy Cro Park Sledding Hill and then join us at the Rec. Centre a er for hot chocolate.

6:00-8:00 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC AND BOUNCY CASTLE

Enjoy the a night out with live music by the JBH Band in the Youth Lounge while the Kids are bouncing in the Gymnasium. The Ke le Café will be available during

Saturday, March 4th

10:00–11:30 am

OPEN GYM

Come and play with our new recrea onal toys at the Rec. Center Gymnasium.

11:00 am-1:00 pm

TURKEY SHOOT HOSTED BY THE TINTINA GUN CLUB

Test your shoo ng skills for the chance to win a turkey! Join the Tin na Gun Club in the Rec. Centre’s Old Curling Rink.

12:00-1:30 pm

GLOWSTICK SKATE

Ready for a party on ice? Glows cks, music, skates, & FUN! Join us for glow in the dark ska ng at the Father Pierre Rigaud Arena.

2:00-3:30 pm

FISHEYE LAKE EVENTS

There’s a li le something for everyone! Join us at Fisheye Lake for ice fishing (please bring your own fishing rod), kicksleding, skidoo rides, and more. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided.

ICE/SNOW SCULPTURE COMPETITION

The Rec Staff will be driving around town on March 34 to take pictures of the ice/snow sculptures. Please have your sculpture in your front yard. Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, a photo in our newsle er and bragging rights.

4:00-5:30 pm

CARPET BOWLING, CRIB, CARD GAMES, & KIDS CRAFTS

Warm up at the Rec. Centre with light refreshments/ snacks coffee and tea a er Ice Fishing at Fisheye. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a first- mer, all are welcome to par cipate in trying their hand at Carpet Bowling. Volunteers will be on-site if you need a refresher on the rules for either Carpet Bowling or Cribbage. Kids can make some winter cra s. Then smack a few pinatas to get candies.

For more informa on, please contact the Rec. Centre Staff at 994-2375 or email recrea on@faroyukon.ca