THUNDER BAY -- Students were gliding through the school ground Wednesday morning with a pack of snow-loving sled hounds.
Eight-year-old Ameliya Chum joined her peers from Kingsway and Hyde Park Public Schools for an opportunity to adventure with Boreal Journey’s sled dogs.
“I’m looking forward to having fun with the dogs the most,” Ameliya said after dog sledding for the first time.
“The dogs are fast and they bark a lot.”
Ameliya hopes to have another opportunity in the future to dog sled again because the experience was “awesome and so much fun.”
The dog sled rides weren’t the only part of the learning experience.
Boreal Journeys Sled Dog Kennels educated Kingsway students about the sport including the dogs, teamwork and the outdoors.
Boreal Journey Sled Dog Kennel owner Paul Amano believes this experiences ties the students to a part of Canada’s culture.
“We hope the students gain a connection to a part of our culture,” Amano said.
“Dog sleds were used pre- and post-European contact…a major part of the economy, fur trade and our history.”
Amano educated the children on how the dogs learn from one another rather than from the handler.
He added a community is created allowing the dogs to trust each other and learn from each other.
“Building trust is a big part of what we teach the students and things like mentorship learning from older students or older dogs teaching the younger ones.”
The students will also be participating in the trail mail activity with the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon by writing a letter to be delivered as part of the race, which will take place in Minnesota Jan. 29.
Amano believes the idea being this experience is about mentorship…teaching skills, learning and having that pass on.
