I·SPARC Announces New President and Board of Directors
I·SPARC ANNOUNCES NEW PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS Victoria, BC (June 11, 2020) – The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I·SPARC) is pleased to announce the appointment of its inaugural board of directors and the election their Executive – President, Corinne McKay, from the Nisga’a Nation, Vice-President Alan Edkins, from the Métis Nation BC, and Secretary Treasurer Cheryl Charlie, from Sts’ailes. They will lead the nine-member board of directors as the organization transitions out of its host agency, [...]
Mental Performance Webinar Series
Mental Performance Webinar Series for Coaches and Athletes I·SPARC in partnership with PacificSport Okanagan and PacificSport Vancouver Island are pleased to present this free Mental Performance Webinar Series for coaches and athletes! These online webinars feature Sport Psychology experts who will share their strategies on how to build resiliency, maintain motivation, and manage intensity and focus for peak performance. Like every sector being affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic, we are experiencing a drastic change in the sport world. We have [...]
Employment Opportunity – Finance Manager
EMPLOYMENT NOTICE Finance Manager DEADLINE TO APPLY: 5:00 PM, FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2020 The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I·SPARC) is a provincial organization established for the purpose of improving the health outcomes of Indigenous people by supporting and encouraging physically active individuals, families, and communities. The programs and services delivered by I·SPARC are designed to build capacity and increase access to sport, recreation, and physical activity in First Nations, Aboriginal Friendship Centres, Métis Chartered Communities, schools, and [...]
Be the Spark campaign launched
Team BC NAIG Be the Spark campaign to keep athletes connected was launched on April 30. Be the Spark campaign launched Victoria, BC (April 30, 2020) –Team BC staff are sharing uplifting messages with athletes, coaches, managers and volunteers to keep them inspired and active following the announcement in March that the Halifax 2020 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) are postponed. (continued below) The Be the Spark campaign kicked off on April 30 with a video of Indigenous Sport, [...]
Employment Notice – Deadline May 12, 2020
EMPLOYMENT NOTICE Regional Sport and Physical Activity Coordinator – Vancouver Island Region The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I·SPARC) is a provincial organization established for the purpose of improving the health outcomes of Indigenous people by supporting and encouraging physically active individuals, families and communities. The programs and services delivered by I·SPARC are designed to build capacity and increase access to sport, recreation and physical activity in First Nations, Aboriginal Friendship Centres, Métis Chartered Communities, schools, and other [...]
Halifax 2020 North American Indigenous Games Postponed
Halifax 2020 North American Indigenous Games Postponed Victoria, BC (March 25, 2020) – Earlier today, the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) Council and the NAIG 2020 Host Society announced that the Games, scheduled to be held July 12-18, 2020 in Kjipuktuk (Halifax) have been postponed due to the ongoing situation with the global COVID-19 pandemic. The Halifax 2020 NAIG was set to bring together over 5,000 Indigenous participants from across North America to compete in the multi-sport event and to [...]
Team BC basketball players win Provincial High School titles
Team BC 16U team member Lakresha Edwards (left) won the girls AAA championships with the Abbotsford Panthers. While 19U Team BC development squad members Lagi Vaa, Tiana Sacco and Jewel Leeson won the AA girls championships with the Britannia Bruins. Team BC basketball players win Provincial High School titles Team BC 19U development squad players Kai Leighton and Kaden Pagens helped the Charles Haynes Rainmakers win the BC High School Sports AA Basketball Championships. Congratulations go out to [...]
NAIG 2020 Postpones July Games
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 25, 2020 NAIG 2020 Postpones July Games The North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) Council and NAIG 2020 Host Society are announcing to all our athletes, funders, partners and friends that the Games, scheduled to be held July 12 – 18 in Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Aldershot and Millbrook, have been postponed due to the ongoing situation with COVID-19. During the coming weeks, NAIG Council and the NAIG 2020 team, along with funders and partners, will be exploring [...]
I·SPARC’s Operational Continuity Plan
The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council’s (I·SPARC) Operational Continuity Plan As we continue to monitor and respond to the rapidly changing situation with COVID-19, we want to provide an update on how we are managing our operations. We recently announced that I·SPARC’s program activities and events have been suspended indefinitely, but our operations have continued with the following modifications: I·SPARC’s Operational Continuity Plan As of March 12, 2020, we have implemented a work-from-home protocol for staff. All staff are [...]
Message from Minister Lisa Beare
I want to start by thanking you for your leadership in this unprecedented situation. I know you are all working in extremely difficult and quickly-changing circumstances. The impacts of COVID-19 to the sport sector will be significant and are already being felt. During these trying times, I want to reassure you that the entire provincial government is working around the clock to protect people’s health and to mitigate impacts to people’s livelihoods. The priority continues to be on delaying, containing and [...]
I·SPARC Suspending Programs and Events Due to Health Concerns over COVID-19
I·SPARC Suspending Programs and Events Due to Health Concerns over COVID-19 Victoria BC – (Friday, March 13, 2020) – The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (I·SPARC) understands that families and communities are concerned about the COVID-19 outbreak, which has been declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). I·SPARC has continued to draw on the guidance provided by WHO, the Canadian government, and BC government in determining what precautionary measures we should take in the delivery [...]
Video: Basketball truly a family-affair for Lafontaines
By Kristi Patton Team BC Communications Coordinator Basketball truly is a family affair for Team BC's Lafontaine family. Coaches, referees and players - Team BC's Lafontaine family has it all. The Métis family, from Kelowna, B.C., have a long history with the Team BC program where they chase their dreams and give back to the game of basketball. Kaitlyn Lafontaine Hait, an alum of the Vancouver Island University Mariners varsity basketball program and the oldest of the four [...]