Northwest Honours Recipients of the 2016 Premier’s Awards for Aboriginal Youth Excellence in Sport
The Aboriginal Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Partners Council, in collaboration with the Province of British Columbia, launched the regional nomination process in September 2016, receiving more than 130 nominations from across the province for Aboriginal athletes under 25 years of age who have achieved excellence in performance sport, are regarded for their leadership qualities, committed to higher education, and recognized as community role models both on and off the field of play. A total of 47 recipients were chosen within the Partners Council’s six regions – Northeast, Northwest, Interior, Fraser, Vancouver Coastal, and Vancouver Island.
There were seven students from the Northwest Region who were awarded the Premier’s Award for Aboriginal Youth Excellence in Sport and one of those students was from Mount Elizabeth Middle Secondary School.
Kleanza Cathers, age 16, Swimming, Nisga’a
“The Premier’s Awards for Aboriginal Youth Excellence in Sport are a fitting recognition of the remarkable accomplishments of Aboriginal youth in B.C.’s Northwest region,” said Gordon Hogg, Parliamentary Secretary for Youth Sport to the Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. “The tremendous success of these young athletes is a testament to their tenacity and commitment to their sport. On behalf of the B.C. government, congratulations to this year’s award winners.” “We strengthen our communities by investing in our youth,” said Corinne McKay, Northwest Region’s Alternate Lead for the Aboriginal Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Partners Council. “We know it’s a long, challenging and rewarding journey and we want our young people to know that we are proud of them and behind them every step of the way as they work towards achieving their goals.” These Regional recipients automatically serve as nominees for the Provincial Awards. A total of 12 Provincial Awards (six male and six female) will be selected in January.
Congratulations Kleanza!
