Building partnerships: DFC, ATO form alliance

Aboriginal Team Ontario (ATO) and Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School have formed an agreement to create the ATO North Athlete and Sport Development Centre in Thunder Bay.
The partnership was launched in the spring and a staff member from ATO used office space through the summer at the school to conduct business, explained ATO board member Marc Laliberte.
Laliberte is pleased there have already been tangible benefits.
“Our summer student was working from the school,” he said. “The summer baseball clinic was organized from the school. We’ve had board meetings there. It’s been a great situation.”
With fall here, and students back in class, there will be more emphasis on the DFC students and programming for other Aboriginal youth in Thunder Bay.
“We hope to host tryouts and clinics at the school,” Laliberte said. “It would be good to host camps to develop athletes and sports. We’re exploring fitness initiatives, yoga and strength training.”
Some programming could start within a few weeks, Laliberte said, at no cost to the youth.
DFC principal Jonathan Kakegamic appreciates what ATO can bring to his students.
“Our students will be introduced to more sports, sports they traditionally don’t play,” he said. “They play hockey and volleyball. We should be able to offer basketball, track and strength training.
“I like the idea of keeping our students and all students busy.”
Kakegamic said partnerships are key to the school and its students.
“We’re all working toward a common goal which is success for the students,” he said. “We need to work with other groups and agencies for the benefit of our students.”
In that regard, Kakegamic announced a partnership to allow DFC students to try out for the Sir Winston Churchill High School football team.
A group of more than a dozen DFC students have been practicing with Churchill for a week.