The Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister of Labrador Affairs and Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation, today announced the 15 members of the Board of Directors for the 2023 Labrador Winter Games at an event in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Minister Dempster also announced a contribution of $500,000 from the Provincial Government to support the 2023 Labrador Winter Games. The funding covers the operating costs associated with organizing and delivering the Games and is administered by the Labrador Affairs Secretariat.
The board will be chaired by Todd Winters of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. He will be joined by board members John Andersen, Tyler Edmunds, Chief Eugene Hart, Joan Hibbs, Randy Letto, George Russell, Pauline Russell and Mary Winters. Ex-officio members of the Board are Andrew Battcock, George Andrews, Rex Goudie, Michelle Healey, Lt. Col. Guy Parisien and Michelle Watkins.
Biographies of the board members are provided in the backgrounder below.
The Labrador Winter Games are typically held every three years. The next Games were scheduled to be held in March 2022. In June, the Provincial Government and the 2019 Board of Directors jointly announced the postponement of the Games to 2023.
The Labrador Winter Games are known as the ‘Friendship Games’ for their portrayal of friendly competition and a focus on traditions and cultural heritage. More than 300 participants from communities across Labrador traditionally participate in the week-long event.
The official dates for the 2023 Games will be determined by the Board of Directors.
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“I am pleased to announce the members of the team that will provide direction for the 2023 Labrador Winter Games. This is a talented and diverse group of individuals who bring considerable experience to the table through their backgrounds in sport, recreation and community. Our government is also happy to invest $500,000 towards covering the operating costs of the Games and supporting traditional activities which make this such a special event.”
Honourable Lisa Dempster
Minister of Labrador Affairs and Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation
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Labrador Winter Games Postponed
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Allan Bock
Labrador Affairs Secretariat
709-896-4449, 899-6446
allanbock@gov.nl.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Biographies of 2023 Labrador Winter Games Board of Directors
John Andersen served for many years as Makkovik’s Recreation Director and was Team Makkovik’s Coordinator for five Labrador Winter Games. Mr. Andersen is the Ordinary Member for Makkovik with the Nunatsiavut Government and sits on the Board of the Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Circle of Newfoundland and Labrador.
George Andrews was elected Mayor of Happy Valley-Goose Bay in the 2021 Municipal General Election. He previously served on the 8th, 9th and 10th Councils of the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay as a councillor and Deputy Mayor. A long-time resident of the community, Mr. Andrews has extensive experience working within Government at the Federal, Provincial, and Municipal levels.
Andrew Battcock taught physical education at the junior high and high school level for 22 years and is currently the School Health Promotion Liaison Consultant for the Labrador Region of the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District. Mr. Battcock was Provincial Director of the Canadian Intramural, and Recreation Association for three years, Provincial Intramural Student Leadership Chairperson for four years and has coached numerous school and community teams to provincial championships. He previously served on Boards of Directors for 2006, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019 Labrador Winter Games.
Tyler Edmunds of Postville has been an elected official in the Nunatsiavut Assembly since 2014 and serves as Minister of Finance and First Minister for the Nunatsiavut Government and as Speaker in the Nunatsiavut Assembly. He has participated in Labrador Winter Games since 2005 in several events, including skiing, snowshoe biathlon, snowshoe sprint, northern triathlon and northern biathlon. Mr. Edmunds is a volunteer coach with B.L. Morrison All-Grade School and is active in community sport, tournaments, running events and fundraising for Kids Eat Smart through the Trapline Marathon.
Eugene Hart has been Chief of the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation since 2015. In the late 1990s he became a classroom assistant at Peenamin McKenzie School, beginning a 16-year career with the Innu Education system in Sheshatshiu. During this time he held a number of key positions, including Guidance Counsellor Assistant and Community School Liaison. He served as Innu Vice Principal for a period of four years. Chief Hart has also worked as a manager at the Charles J. Andrew Youth Treatment Centre and as a community service worker with the Department of Children, Youth and Family Services. He was elected to the Innu Nation Board in 2012 and 2014 where he served as Chair of the Finance committee.
Joan Hibbs of Labrador City is an active member of her community. She has played and coached on numerous teams in Labrador West and is a certified coach and referee. Ms. Hibbs has served as Northern Director of female hockey from 2012-15 and previously served as female director of the Labrador West Minor Hockey Association. Ms. Hibbs is also a coach and executive member for Special Olympics in Labrador West.
Randy Letto resides in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and has been Executive Director of Destination Labrador for 15 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economic Geography from Memorial University and has 30 years of experience in community economic and business development, and 27 years of experience in the tourism sector. Mr. Letto has a proven track record of award-winning and innovative approaches to community and tourism development and has managed numerous innovative projects and events. He is a volunteer with the Great Labrador Canoe Race, a member of the Happy Valley-Goose Bay Rotary Club, and a member of the Project Steering Committee for the Red Bay Visitor Experience Plan.
Rex Goudie was born and raised in L’Anse-au-Clair and graduated from Mountain Feild High School. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Memorial University of Newfoundland and a Bachelor of Commerce from Dalhousie University. He is the Manager of Field Operations with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency in Newfoundland and Labrador and is responsible for coordinating the delivery of economic development programs throughout the province. He has over 30 years of experience in the coordination, delivery, and design of economic/social development programs for Labrador. Mr. Goudie served as Assistant Deputy Minister with the Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs and as the Coordinator of the Comprehensive Labrador Agreement. Mr. Goudie has been actively involved in community-based organizations in Labrador since the 1980s, including the Grenfell Foundation, Rotary Club of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, International Grenfell Association, Amaruk Golf and Sports Club and the Labrador Winter Games.
Michelle Healey is Director of the Recreation and Sport Division with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation. Prior to her role with government, she was Director of Varsity Athletics at Memorial University. Michelle has extensive multi-sport games experience, and served as Chef de Mission for Team Newfoundland and Labrador at the 2011 and 2013 Canada Games.
Lt. Col. Guy Parisien joined the Canadian Forces in 2001 under the Continuing Education Officer Training Plan. His career has taken him to several postings across Canada and in Afghanistan. Most recently, LCol Parisien was Commanding Officer of the Aerospace and Telecommunications Engineering Support Squadron, where he was responsible for the provision of specialized aerospace and telecommunications engineering, training and production services in support of worldwide air force operations. Since August 2020, he has served as the commanding officer of 5 Wing Goose Bay and is enjoying all of which Labrador has to offer.
George Russell Jr. is a native of Williams Harbour and has been living in Happy Valley-Goose Bay since 2001. George is the Director of Environment and Natural Resource with NunatuKavut and has more than 20 years of experience working on Environment, Community and Indigenous Initiatives in Labrador. Mr. Russell has a strong connection to community, sports and recreation and has been involved with the Labrador Winter Games since 1992, primarily as a competitor, but also as a volunteer. George serves on the Board of Directors of the Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Circle of Newfoundland Labrador and has been the president of the Men’s Softball League in Happy Valley-Goose Bay since 2008. George also helps organize sporting events in the area and coaches minor sports
Pauline Russell is a long-time community volunteer who served as community coordinator for eight Labrador Winter Games from 1989 to 2010, and most recently served on the Board for the 2019 Labrador Winter Games. She has also held several positions on the Mary’s Harbour Recreation Committee and served as chair of the Mary’s Harbour Crab Festival. Ms. Russell was a school board trustee with District #2 (Northern Peninsula / Labrador South) and volunteers with the Kids Eat Smart Program, the Circle of Friends Resource Centre and Harbour View Manor. Ms. Russell has also served for 20 years as an Anglican licensed lay minister.
Michelle Watkins is Deputy Minister of the Labrador Affairs Secretariat. She has served in various volunteer capacities in Labrador since the 1990s including President of the Labrador North Chamber of Commerce and President of the Melville Mantas Swim Club. Ms. Watkins also served as a board member for the 2019 Labrador Winter Games and was Arts and Culture Chair/volunteer for past Labrador Winter Games.
Mary Winters was born and raised in North West River, Labrador. She volunteered for many years in the Happy Valley-Goose Bay area, including minor softball and minor hockey. She was also a dedicated volunteer with the Labrador Winter Games from 1986 to 2016 where she served on the Northern Star Newspaper, the Labrathon, and most notably with the VIP Hostess Committee. Ms. Winters is also an accomplished athlete, having won awards in broomball and softball. She was the first woman to umpire at the Canadian Men’s Slo-Pitch Softball Nationals which were held in Marystown in 1987. Ms. Winters has been honoured in the builder category for the Happy Valley-Goose Bay Community Awards and has been awarded the Labradorians of Distinction medal.
Todd Winters was born and raised in Happy Valley-Goose Bay where he participated in multiple sports including softball, volleyball, basketball, soccer, broomball and ball hockey. He has been the Executive Director for the Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Circle NL since 2007. Has been involved in every Labrador Winter Games since the first games in 1983 as an official, to Vice-Chair of the 2019 Labrador Winter Games. He was Assistant Chef de Mission for Team Indigenous Newfoundland Labrador at the 2008, 2014, 2017 and 2020 North American Indigenous Games and coordinator of Team Indigenous at the 2016 and 2018 NL Games. He is currently a Town Councilor for the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL and member of several Provincial committees including Team Newfoundland Labrador Sports Excellence Committee for the 2025 Canada Summer Games, Eat Great and Participate Stakeholder Committee and the School Physical Activity Policy Advisory Committee.