Eleven First Nations members staying in the Quebec City region for work or study purposes participated in the 1st edition of the KIRANO project, which ran from October 20 to December 12, 2008. This was an eight-week intensive training program held with the participation of athlete David Gill. The program included the following activities: three physical training sessions per week; one evening per work for healthy cooking workshops; and weekend outings. These outings gave the participants a variety of experiences, including a GPS-guided treasure hunt, mountain hiking, treetop aerial trekking, a spin bike workout, etc. This project was made possible thanks to the collaboration of three local partners: SOCAM, CAAQ and Total Coaching.
This concept of combining physical activity with healthy eating appears to have worked very well. The participants were motivated and a strong synergy developed among the group’s members, who were from the Innu, Micmac, Inuit and Huron-Wendat First Nations. A 2nd edition is being planned for next spring and we intend to implement the program in the communities during the coming fiscal year.
