LiUNA BUILDS COMMUNITIES AND SUPPORTS INDIGENOUS YOUTH AT THE 2022 ONTARIO SUMMER INDIGENOUS GAMES
Labourers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA!) signs on as Community Partner for the first major return to in-person sport event for Ontario’s official Indigenous sport body.
Mississauga, Ontario – July 20, 2022 – The 2022 Ontario Summer Indigenous Games (OSIG) organizing committee is proud to announce LiUNA as an official Community Partner for the provincial-level youth sports competition and Team Ontario athlete identifier, scheduled to take place in Ottawa, from July 28-31, 2022. With hundreds of Indigenous youths and their families set to attend, the event is sure to be one filled with hope and excitement, as athletes finally return to in-person programming.
“LiUNA is proud be the official community partner of the 2022 Ontario Summer Indigenous Games in Ottawa,” said Joseph Mancinelli, LiUNA International Vice President and a Regional Manager of Central and Eastern Canada. “Youth are our future and by working together we can continue to remove barriers to encourage youth across local Indigenous communities to reach their full potential through skills development, teamwork and mentorship opportunities. As we continue on our path of learning and reconciliation, we reaffirm our commitment to reconciliaction and the 2022 OSIG will bring us together in celebration of Indigenous cultures and communities with an opportunity to share and learn from each other. We hope to see you there!”
LiUNA is an International Union, with members in both Canada and the United States, and an important part of one of North America’s oldest and most powerful unions. LiUNA members are a skilled and experienced union workforce trained to work safely in the construction and energy industries. LiUNA has a history of supporting and partnering with organizations that emphasize training and education for youth as future builders of the economy. LiUNA’s community-level partnership at the 2022 OSIG will support youth attending from across the province and from Northern communities, coming together to celebrate culture and compete in sports. The Games will also serve as an opportunity to identify potential Team Ontario athletes, for the upcoming 2023 North American Indigenous Games.
“The support LiUNA has shown for this event is inspiring,” said Marc Laliberte, President of Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario. “They have a long history of partnering with organizations to create empowering opportunities for youth. After a long two and a half years of not being able to meet and compete, the youth are ready to build skills and make connections that will last a lifetime. Meeting other youth, building those networks, and challenging yourself with sport is key to supporting mental health and a positive pathway forward for youth.”
The 2022 OSIG is hosted by Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario (ISWO), and funded by the Government of Ontario. The Games will take place primarily at the University of Ottawa, with Athletics competition taking place at the renowned Terry Fox Athletics Facility and Softball at Carlington Park. The 2022 OSIG will kick off on Thursday, July 28 with an Opening Ceremony, featuring First Nations, Inuit and Metis performers, and conclude with a community feast and closing ceremony, intended to start and finish the Games in a good way. The Games are important for the celebration of Indigenous cultures and communities, as youth from distinct communities across the province will have the opportunity to share and learn from each other and make life-long connections. ISWO, with the support of LiUNA, is looking forward to welcoming Indigenous youth from across Ontario, to the traditional unceded territories of the Algonquin Peoples, who have called the Ottawa region home, since time immemorial.
For more information about the 2022 OSIG, please visit https://osig.iswo.ca/.
About LiUNA
Half a million members strong across North America, LIUNA – the Labourers’ International Union of North America – is a powerhouse of highly-skilled men and women who proudly build stronger communities across various sectors including the construction, healthcare and industrial industry. Representing over 140,000 men and women in Canada, LiUNA continues to be a leading advocate for workplace health and safety. United through collective bargaining agreements, LiUNA members earn competing wages, industry leading health and wellness benefits and the opportunity for advancement and better futures. LiUNA members are a diverse, highly-skilled and experienced union workforce trained to work safely in the construction industry as well as various sectors that are paramount to the growth and function of our country and economy. From roads to bridges, tunnels to high-rise, building essential transit and healthcare infrastructure, LiUNA Members build stronger communities from the ground up and give back to the communities we live, work and build. LiUNA stands for better opportunities for its members and working people as we continue to build stronger futures, together. For more information visit the website at www.liuna.ca
About the Ontario Summer Indigenous Games
Hosted and developed by ISWO, the Ontario Summer Indigenous Games provides Indigenous youth, ages 13 to 18 years of age, the opportunity to compete against their peers in a number of sport categories. The Games also serve as an identifier for athletes who aspire to compete at the North American Indigenous games, scheduled to take place in 2023.
ISWO will be hosting tryouts for all 14 NAIG sports throughout the year and into 2023, across the province of Ontario. A full schedule of tryouts, along with additional information, will be released in near future.
Ontario Summer Indigenous Games Quick Facts:
- The OSIG was founded by Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario (ISWO), the official Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Body for Ontario. For more information about ISWO, please visit www.iswo.ca.
- The 2022 OSIG are generously funded by the Government of Ontario, through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and supported by Ottawa Tourism and the City of Ottawa.
- Youth are invited to participate in campus tours and enjoy a range of activities offered at the athletes’ village.
- CBC is the official media partner of the 2022 Ontario Summer Indigenous Games.
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Acknowledgement
ISWO honours the traditional lands and homelands of all Indigenous Peoples and communities across the province of Ontario, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis living both on and off reserve, in rural and urban communities.
Contact Information
Hilary Ostrom
Manager of Marketing and Communications
Hilary.ostrom@iswo.ca
