WIIKWEMKOONG—Faces were beaming with delight as the ribbon was cut on an $80,000 upgrade to the weight room at Wiikwemkoong High School following classes on Thursday, May 11.
The new weight room was completed over the course of the past two years, helping to spread the cost out. “We also collaborated with our other department, Mino-mnaamodzawin,” said organizer Cameron Beaudry, “we worked together on the design.” Although Mr. Beaudry was credited for coming up with the idea, he was quick to point out that the push for the new equipment really came from the youth.
“For curricular instruction we have our health and physical education teacher who use this space on a daily basis,” said Mr. Beaudry. “In terms of offering facility up for the students, we have our Strength Club.”
Mr. Beaudry explained that the Strength Club is divided up into alternating days for male and female students, with a fifth day (Friday) left for co-ed access. “Some of our teachers jump in as needed,” he said. “Students have an hour after school.”
“We have also tied it in as an incentive program,” he said. “We have had good success with the students who are interested in this. They get their passports signed with each of their four periods and they show their passports to get access to the gym. They have really bought into this.”
“This was his baby, he was involved from the start,” said Wiikwemkoong High School principal Harold Fox, “we were just involved in the background.”
“Even though we might have spent $80,000 on this, it was well spent. It really makes a difference in not only the physical, but the mental health of our students,” said Maureen Peltier, interim education director. “Mr. Beaudry having started the Strength Club, they are learning from that. The Strength Club has grown from a handful of students to around 50 now.”
“This is great,” said Janelle Dokum, who eschewed the celebratory pizza in the school lobby to work on the equipment. That was a sentiment shared by Joseph Shigwadja who was also trying out some of the equipment following the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
