Year in Review: Major funder breathes new life into Men of the North

Men of the North continues to host meetings every Monday, which attracts up to 20 men from the area and outlying communities. The meetings always follow a different theme and they sometimes include guest speakers.

In March 2023, Men of the North also established a drumming group that recently participated in the Tri-Community Dance Club’s Winter Showcase. It includes about 10 members that have so far been highly transitional. The drum group is open to both men and women.

“I really hope it continues to expand and collaborate with more organizations and community activities,” Merasty said.

“I think the traditional drum was a key aspect in the traditional days. The traditional drum brought the community together through song and dance and singing. By providing the traditional drum to more activities in the community, that would be really beneficial.”

Men of the North have also begun to host non-alcohol events like showings of UFC events. Merasty explained many of the events in La Ronge are accommodated by alcohol and there aren’t enough that are free from that. About 15 people have been turning up on those days.

Merasty sees a busy couple of year for the Men of the North as he hopes to expand the initiative into 15 communities, as well as correctional centres and penitentiaries.

“We have been in talks with a couple communities in regards to extending our programming and our services and reaching beyond the tri-community,” he said. “We hope into the New Year we will see more program staff and we will have more programs going forward.”

Other services Men of the North provide include referring clients to other services in the community to assist with issues such as homelessness and addictions. They also work with individuals to obtain their identification as that can be a key issue when finding employment.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

by Derek Cornet

Year in Review: Major funder breathes new life into Men of the North

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