The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
HeÕs in the same church but in a different pew now as Ryan Karakochuk has moved from the Sasktel Sports Centre in Saskatoon to the Northern Sports, Culture and Recreation in Creighton. After taking care of sports programs for the area, Karakochuk has moved to Northern Saskatchewan to work with the recreation directors of 12 communities. ÒI basically work with the community to develop and organize programs .... as well as get aboriginal participation throughout the community,Ó says the community relations coordinator. ÒI tie everything into sport culture and recreation.Ó Karakochuk began work last Monday as he replaced Kathy McGrath. With only a few days under his belt, he says it is going to be overwhelming for a little while. ÒIÕm the only rep in Creighton, there isnÕt anyone else here,Ó he says. ÒAnd the main office is in La Ronge. ÒThe first while is getting into communications with the communities in the area,Ó he says, noting that he will be responsible for the Creighton, Denare Beach, Pelican Narrows, Sandy Beach and other areas. A large portion of the job for Karakochuk will be dealing with the recreation directors, or recreation boards, of the communities. ÒI let them know about community grants that arrive,Ó he says. ÒI show them how to apply and ... I help them figure things out (if there is a problem.)Ó When it comes to filling out grant applications, Karakochuk says he makes sure they are done correctly so the government doesnÕt reject them. There are quite a few big grants here, he says, including a community grant, a Northern grant as well as an aboriginal grant. ÒThey (the communities) donÕt have to apply, but itÕs free money if you apply to help sports or recreation,Ó he says. ÒThey donÕt have to use me if they donÕt want to. ÒI donÕt run the hockey camps, but if they want to know where to get them, I find out.Ó And with that being said, Karakochuk says he becomes the Òsupport group or the consultantÓ for the communities looking to apply for the grants. After just a week in the office, the Wynyard, SK, native says he has spent his time looking over files getting to know the communities. As he is stationed in Creighton, Karakochuk says the town is better off than some of the other communities in the area. ÒThere are a lot of communities that donÕt have a recreation director in place. We are trying to work with the band offices or recreation boards to get stable people in place,Ó he says. ÒThe community (Creighton) is pretty stable.Ó Karakochuk says one of the big problems with other communities not being stable is the constant changing of council. ÒThey are always switching council so we we have to introduce (everything) to the new council, which can be challenging,Ó he says. Karakochuk made his move to Creighton after visiting for a year, but says the community is the perfect place to settle down. ÒItÕs a lot like the community I came from,Ó he says, referring to Wynyard. ÒAnd combined with Flin Flon, it makes it a nice place to raise a family and just settle in. ÒAnd itÕs nice that it has the big sports (like) golf and hockey.Ó
