The continuity of a project focused on advancing lacrosse in Northern regions is in doubt due to the depletion of its funding. The N60 initiative by the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation was created to expand the reach of Canada’s official summer sport in more northern communities. Since 2022, the program has conducted clinics in various locations, including Baker Lake, Nunavut, Norman Wells, N.W.T., and most recently at Ecole St. Joseph School in Yellowknife.
Inspired by a successful lacrosse program in Kugluktuk, Nunavut, which also served as the inspiration for the 2018 film “The Grizzlies,” the N60 project aims to reintroduce and expand lacrosse activities beyond the 60th parallel. The initiative provides essential equipment like helmets, gloves, sticks, and t-shirts to communities, along with coaching to educate participants on the game’s history and fundamentals during sports clinics. The ultimate objective is to generate enough local interest in lacrosse to sustain participation once external coaches have departed.
Lacrosse is viewed by Kyle Kugler, executive director of Hockey North in the N.W.T., as an ideal complement to hockey during the off-season, given their similarities. However, the program has encountered obstacles over the years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which greatly impacted operations. Despite the easing of pandemic restrictions, challenges such as high travel costs and equipment shipping expenses persist. Maintaining community engagement post-program implementation has also proven challenging.
With the future of the N60 program uncertain, plans for the upcoming year remain undetermined. Kugler emphasized the need to strategize the next steps independently amid the current situation.