Celeste Leray-Leicht Has Hope for Kids
The Northern Lights Movement for Kids is building relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth
In February 2018, grade six students at St. Dominic School in Humboldt, Sask. sent Valentine’s cards to students at the La Loche, Sask. Ducharme Elementary School, starting a pen pal relationship.
La Loche had experienced a shocking school shooting two years before. In several Indigenous communities children were taking their own lives. As vice-principal at St. Dominic School, Celeste Leray-Leicht was deeply concerned for kids in these communities and felt called to respond at the school level to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action.
Just two months later, on April 6, Celeste’s own community was struck with tragedy when sixteen people died in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash. Celeste and Kurt Leicht’s oldest son, Jacob, lost his life in the accident.
The family decided to honour their son’s life through Northern Lights Movement for Kids and established a fund in Jacob’s memory with Saskatoon Community Foundation.
Out of pain and tragedy, Northern Lights Movement for Kids became a new purpose and inspiration for Celeste and her community. The movement connects youth from Indigenous and Non-Indigenous communities to promote mutual connections and understanding.
It has grown to include the annual 111 km Challenge, in honour of Jacob Leicht, former Bronco number 11. Communities are challenged to get outdoors and get active, logging 111 km during the month of June.
Another initiative, the Great Prairie Race, has expanded across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba (Treaties 1, 4, 6 and 8). During the last school year, 27 communities and schools participated. Classes joined the race by walking, running, skating, snowshoeing or skiing and logged their distance throughout the month of February. At the end of the month, schools met virtually to learn about each other and celebrate their total combined distances of 15,356 kilometres.
Celeste remembers Jacob as a kind-hearted kid, who was passionate about fitness, loved being outdoors, and playing his favourite sport, hockey.
“He worked hard to prove himself and delighted in surprising people at what he could do on the ice,” Celeste remembers.
“Jacob would think (Northern Lights Movement for Kids) is pretty cool. He would like the fitness part for sure. It creates opportunities that encompass the whole person.”
Jacob’s brother and sisters have helped with the Northern Lights Movement for Kids, offering good ideas and youth perspectives, and participating in the 111 km Challenge. His friends and other Broncos families have been very supportive.
The movement is gaining a life of its own, with hockey teams like the La Ronge Ice Wolves starting their own initiatives, such as an 11-hour skate-a-thon, and sharing them with Northern Lights Movement for Kids.
“I hope our initiative breaks down a bit of the barriers that we have in the prairie provinces and in Saskatchewan. This can help our province to be an even healthier one,” said Celeste.
“I have hope and faith in kids. They’re the answer to being a greater province.”
Face-to-face activities for student exchanges can include birch bark crafts, ice breaker games, and traditional foods in the north, or pizza, swimming, and bowling in town.
“The classes get to learn what is special about each others’ communities,” explained Celeste.
The elementary and high school opportunities have relied on educators and many other supporters including Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, Northern Lights School Division, Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, and local media outlets. Educators have reached out to colleagues to set up pen pal relationships with partner schools and have also connected through fine arts.
What does the future hold for the Northern Lights Movement for Kids? Celeste is driven to create more face-to-face interactions for kids to learn about each others’ communities and have fun together, through partnerships and travel opportunities.
Photos: Leicht family, Jacob Leicht (Marla Possberg Photo), 111 Km challenge, skate-a-thon participants (submitted).
