The Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association Conference will run from Wednesday, Oct. 16 to Saturday, Oct. 19 inNorth Battleford. (Dreamstime.com)

By Angela Brown

Parks and Rec

Parks and Recreation conference will include former Olympic skater Manley

Oct 3, 2019 | 5:03 PM

The Battlefords will be in its element for an upcoming four-day event focusing on recreation and community achievements across the province that will include former Canadian Olympic figure skater Elizabeth Manley.

The Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association (SPRA) Conference runs from Wednesday, Oct. 16 to Saturday, Oct. 19. About 150 delegates from various municipalities in Saskatchewan are expected to attend.

Each year the event is held in a different community, so this year North Battleford was selected.

“It’s great that we can have an event like this in our community,” host committee chair Candace Dustan said. “It brings so many people from around Saskatchewan to see what we have to offer.”

Dustan, who is also the City of North Battleford Leisure Services Dept. program manager, added the event is also a good opportunity to promote the Battlefords and local tourism at the same time.

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She said the conference helps people in parks and recreation sectors get together, share ideas and network.

“We also do a lot of education sessions so it’s a really good place to learn about what is happening around the province,” Dustan said.

Among the highlights is Elizabeth Manley, a keynote speaker on Oct. 19 at the Dekker Centre.

“She was one of my childhood heroes, so I am very excited to get to meet her and actually introduce her,” Dustan said.

The 1988 Olympic Silver Medalist and Canadian figure skating legend, Manley will discuss her experiences as a successful athlete, and also speak about the importance of mental health and surviving the loss of her parents.

On Oct. 17 guest speaker Neechie Gear founder and CEO Kendal Netmaker will give a presentation at the Dekker Centre about his success in overcoming obstacles to achieve his goals. He recently wrote a book on his experiences: Driven to Succeed: From Poverty to the Podium.

Netmaker was raised at Sweetgrass First Nation in a single-parent, low-income family. However, through his own perseverance, paired with supportive friends, Netmaker managed to achieve his goals and eventually become a leading business entrepreneur.

His firm Neechie Gear also contributes a part of its profits to help underprivileged youth participate in sports.

The conference also includes an awards gala on Oct. 18 at the Don Ross Centre to honour community and volunteer achievements in the parks and recreation sector in Saskatchewan, including the Communities in Bloom Awards.

Tickets for the various events are available in the community.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow