Iqaluit Ski Team
[ OVERVIEW ]At Skican Iqaluit, Benoit and Shannon coach young athletes, helping them develop their cross-country skiing skills and endurance. Training sessions prepare them for local and regional races, with opportunities to travel for competitions. Beyond performance, the focus is on building confidence, teamwork, and a lifelong passion for the sport.
[ the journey ]In 2024, their efforts led to a historic milestone: the creation of Nunavut’s first-ever cross-country skiing team to compete at the Arctic Winter Games.
With just four determined young skiers, the team travelled to Alaska to represent the territory on snow unlike anything they had experienced at home.
“We have four young kids that are just determined and we have some really great hope for the future of skiing in Nunavut,” said coach Benoit Havard.
Building this team has been a long and passionate journey. For the past six years, Benoit has worked with schools and the local community to introduce children to skiing, often grooming trails himself with homemade equipment.
Training in Nunavut comes with unique challenges — limited facilities, harsh weather, and the need to travel south to access indoor venues — but the dream remains strong: to nurture a vibrant ski culture in Iqaluit and inspire the next generation of northern athletes.
