ITUNA — Ituna is enjoying the distinction of being Saskatchewan's most active community, after winning the Participaction Community Challenge.
Ituna residents and visitors came together throughout June for the challenge, a national physical activity and sport initiative that encourages people to exercise.
According to a news release from the town, the community first started looking at the competition in April, discussing how it would inform the community about the challenge and ways to participate. Volunteers took it upon themselves to reach out around the community, sharing information and gathering support.
Thirteen local organizations registered and tracked submissions, with a total of 67 activities, programs and events taking place in June. A total of 5,271 participants logged their hours to back the community of 677.
The press release noted activities and events included community walks, dances, golf tournaments and a slow-pitch tournament.
"We have a really nice park here, so we had people come out to the park," Mayor Rene Dubreuil said in an interview with SaskToday and Yorkton This Week. "We have a swimming pool and basically a state-of-the-art golf course. It's amazing. So many people, strangers and what not who have done the golf here, they just can't believe the way we've got it laid out.
"We have a pickleball court, which just went in a couple of years ago. People are biking the town and some of the ladies took on yoga in the parks. Even singing, gardening, dog walking and community dancing."
Ituna has some new residents, and Dubreuil said the competition was a chance for people to get to know each other.
"Since the pandemic, I've noticed that the people were quite reluctant to come out and even mingle at all, so this was motivation to mingle, exercise and get active again," he said.
The town's council encourages people to be active throughout the year, he said. The golf course is busy during the summer months, while a new arena opened last fall and the mayor believes it will be busy in the upcoming season. Their curling rink has four sheets of ice.
Dubreuil credited town recreation practitioner Rachel Bachinski for bringing the competition to the town's attention. The mayor said he hadn't heard of it previously.
"She came up with the idea and did all of the legwork to get the funding and get the community-wide activities going. She brought it to council and we told her to go for it if you think you can handle it, and she pulled off an excellent job."
Bachinski expressed her thanks to residents and visitors for their support.
“If I could find one word to describe the town of Ituna it would be perseverance; what they lack in population they more than make up for in hard work and gumption," she said in the news release.
"From the moment that the challenge was presented to them, they started planning and organizing, making sure that they had everything in order for when the time came to begin the challenge. The comradery that is displayed in the community is amazing compared to almost anywhere else I have ever been."
In the news release, Coun. Nancy Leontowich praised the community.
“In this Participaction challenge, I saw a lot of interest in not only wanting to win, but interest in being active and staying fit. The interest was there, from the very young to the older population," she said
When it rained and the town had to relocate its outdoor yoga to a new indoor location, the message spread quickly.
The town earned $15,000 that will be directed towards a new swimming pool. The current pool is aging and the mayor predicted it would have to be replaced in the next two or three years. The town is just starting its fundraising efforts.
A community celebration was held at the regional park golf course on July 22.
The challenge is presented by Novo Nordisk.
