North Bay Indigenous Hub Executive Director Lauree Linklater-Pizzale (left) is with North Bay Indigenous Hub Registered Practical Nurse Sara Goodreau (right) at the Giiwedno Mshkikiiwgamig/North Bay Indigenous Hub Mahiigan Family Road Race.

NORTH BAY— With the blow of the whistle, about 200 walkers and runners of all ages zoomed over the starting line on the Kate Pace Way at the North Bay waterfront.

Mahiigan Family Road Race walkers and runners could take 1km, 5km, or 10 km loops back to the finish line located close to the shore of Lake Nipissing beside Shabogesic Beach.

The walk/run event was organized by Giiwedno Mshkikiiwgamig/North Bay Indigenous Hub to promote community physical wellness. The North Bay Indigenous Hub services include culturally integrated child care, traditional healing, primary care, family/maternal/child health care, and mental wellness care. Service delivery includes those from Nipissing, Temagami, Dokis First Nations, and the urban Indigenous population.

The Mahiingan Family Road Race organizer Keiran Peltier is from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory and is the Physical Wellness Practioner at Giiwedno Mshkikiiwgamig/North Bay Indigenous Hub. Peltier is happy with the turnout and success of the event.

“There are families out, parents running with their kids, people are excited and that’s beautiful. Sport is beneficial for many reasons, so when people commit, that’s amazing. Watching everyone here, I’m in awe. The runners are willing to get out and get active. Do it with family, do it with friends, participate.”

Peltier observed participants from Sturgeon Falls and Sudbury.

“There are people here from all over. I saw people from my home territory of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. That’s 3.5 hours away. It’s so fun.”

With the walkers and runners en route marked with signs, turnaround signs, and water and first aid stations, Peltier lined up the prizes to be given away.

“We have a runner’s package; from Sportchek there’s a gift card; there’s a camping setup that comes with a cooler, plates, cutlery and a tent; we have a bike; we have shoes donated by BioPed; some other shoes we are doing ourselves; we have games, and exercise stuff from the Health Unit. Everyone gets a medal and they get their shirts.”

“It’s fulfilling. It’s nice to be able to give back,” remarks Peltier. “People have invested in our organization and we get engagement from the community, from organizations, and from the city.”

Keiran says he works with patients one-on-one and also focuses on program planning for health promotion.

“What can we do to get people out? What can we do to promote connection, belonging, pride in our culture and our identity? There are holistic benefits – our mental, our emotional, our spiritual health. How can we promote all of that with connection amongst people?”

The promotion of ‘belonging’ is important says Peltier.

“When we show up and we see people we can relate to, we feel a part of something bigger. Give them an opportunity where they can work on that and they realize there are benefits to doing this stuff beyond the physical of wellness because it’s a lot more than that. When we walk, we get all these endorphins for beneficial chemical reactions. When people cross the finish line, they are smiling and they want to see their time. They feel accomplished.”

Crossing the finish line and being the first back after the whistle, a beaming Louise Buckshot of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation zipped to the refreshment tables. Buckshot was proud of herself for being a strong 56-year-old and running a kilometre in under five minutes.

“It’s perfect weather with cloud cover and not sticky,” she said while enjoying the fresh fruit and water that was offered.

BioPed’s Tyler Ashurst ran the 5 km course in 17:53 minutes. Pleased with his time, Ashurst is in training for the 160 km Haliburton Forest Trail Race.

The information booth for the North Bay Indigenous Hub featured Carol Twance, a Mental Wellness Practitioner. She is also a seamstress/crafter/artist who sewed running ribbon skirts for North Bay Indigenous Hub Executive Director Lauree Linklater-Pizzale and North Bay Indigenous Hub Registered Practical Nurse Sara Goodreau. Twance says she was inspired by Amazing Race Canada 7 winners Two-Spirit couple Dr. James Makokis and Anthony Johnson who wore ribbon skirts while running.

Sara and Stephen Subero and their children Skyla and Sadiel warmed up for the road race.

“We come as a family. I’m doing the 1 km with my son, my daughter is going to do the 5 km, and my wife Sara is doing the 10 km,” says Stephen who is South American Indigenous.

Sara is Métis and a nutritionist.

“Everything we do is connected to the land – our health, our fitness, the foods we eat.”

The anticipated walk/run was opened with a prayer from Dot Beaucage Kennedy, an Elder of the Eagle Clan.

“Miigwech to the Creator for bringing us all together so we can participate in a good way today.”

Partners included Indigenous Sport and Wellness Ontario, the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Bay and District, BioPed, North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre, and the Métis Nation of Ontario.