(Huntsville ON) - The Town of Huntsville was recognized at the 31st Annual Canadian Sport Awards held in Toronto on March 23, 2004 as a True Sport Community. The True Sport Community Recognition Program provides communities a chance to showcase their efforts to develop sport in their communities. Communities were required to demonstrate programs that embodied the three core True Sport values of fairness, inclusion and excellence. The Town of Huntsville was one of the three communities recognized in the first year of the program.
Today in Huntsville Dina Bell-Laroche, Director of the True Sport Secretariat, presented a True Sport sign and certificate to His Worship Mayor Hugh Mackenzie and the Huntsville Town Councillors. The True Sport Community sign will be proudly posted in the Huntsville Centennial Centre.
The Town of Huntsville demonstrated the True Sport values through several programs including the local soccer association and the development of a local sports council. The soccer association together with the town worked together to develop new soccer fields improving access for current and potential participants. The results have been staggering: over 1000 participants yearly while maintaining the lowest registration fee in Ontario.
The sports council was the vision of local sport leader Mr. John Cowan who had wanted to help improve the effectiveness of sport in the community and make sport a catalyst for the development of the community. Using the experience of many key partners, Mr. Cowan worked to organize the Huntsville Sport Council which comprised educators, health care professionals, sports groups, provincial police, social agencies (Children's Aid), representatives from the Town of Huntsville and the Chamber of Commerce. Led by clear objectives and an active tagline, "Sport For All", the Huntsville Sports Council has worked diligently to increase the profile of sport within the community.
Ms. Bell-Laroche held a special meeting today with the Huntsville Sports Council. The purpose of the meeting was to further develop a partnership between the True Sport Secretariat and the Sport Council. The result was fantastic. The representatives from the Huntsville Sport Council agreed upon a strategy to further develop True Sport in their community. Items that were discussed included using Huntsville as a True Sport "Living Laboratory" (involves testing engagement tools and strategies), developing a youth and sport survey and the creation of a True Sport Learning Group.
"Huntsville is a great sports community. The enthusiasm here for True Sport is fantastic and we hope to work with them to grow the True Sport Movement," says Mrs. Bell-Laroche.
For further information on True Sport, please contact:
Bryan Merrett
info@truesport.ca
(613) 521-3340, ext. 3230
