Sport council continues work on mandate

Aboriginal Sport and Wellness Council of Ontario (ASWCO) has been busy consulting with First Nations about its mandate.
“We’ve been conducting consultations with the communities to determine the needs of the Aboriginal population,” said board chairman Marc Laliberte.
The council is Ontario’s provincial-territorial Aboriginal sport body. It looks after the province’s submissions to the North American Indigenous Games, National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC) and other events.
In the past few months, representatives from the organization have been in the Treaty 3 area in northwestern Ontario.
This has led to plans for workshops, community outreach and Aboriginal coaching courses, Laliberte said.
The council is also gearing up for year two of its mandate.
In coming months, Laliberte expects the council to be incorporated as not-for-profit, making it easier to accept donations and seek funding, a priority for the organization.
Other priorities include a youth summit in Toronto later this year and finding more funding sources.
Ontario will field one team at the NAHC this year, with members recruited and scouted from across the province.