The dog races have been among the biggest highlights that have brought pleasant memories for organizers and attendees of KSA国际影视传媒檃mba Carnival.

Terry Camsell, who was born and raised in Hay River on the reserve, spent about 10 years organizing the festival from the late eighties to nineties.

Now residing in North Vancouver, he said that the festival brings back many treasured thoughts of getting the dog races going.

SA国际影视传媒淚 came in to help organize a few years after the carnival was created in 1982,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲hen I started (KSA国际影视传媒檃mba) was very small and very limited in terms of what they offered.SA国际影视传媒�

After helping out carnival organizers for a few years, he joined the organizing committee in the late eighties and pushed to introduce a dog race as well as a talent show.

SA国际影视传媒淲e started the dog race and the talent show in 1989 and they have been going every year since,SA国际影视传媒� Camsell said.

SA国际影视传媒淭he first year I knew nothing about running a dog race and I just had to kind of play it by ear.SA国际影视传媒�

With the help and advice of Randy Buggins, Camsell said that he aimed to have a mass start of 10-dog teams racing two laps around Vale Island.

SA国际影视传媒淭he dog racers always wanted time starts and they would petition me every year to have time starts,SA国际影视传媒� he said chuckling. SA国际影视传媒淚 always resisted and said I know you guys (racers) like time starts but the spectators love mass starts.

SA国际影视传媒淚t is a pretty exciting time when you have all those teams already to go and taking off at one time and vying for a position down the chutes and into one line.SA国际影视传媒�

Camsell said the dog race feature of the carnival gained in popularity quickly and included 29 10-dog teams in 1997 from across the NWT as well as the United States, Alaska, Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Alberta.

Buggins, who is participating again this year, remembers fondly how the dog race added to the carnivalSA国际影视传媒檚 overall allure, especially in the late nineties and 2000s.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey had to put in three chutes - the width of the river basically,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淎fter that the average has been sometimes 20 teams and usually no less than 14 teams.SA国际影视传媒�

Buggins agreed that the mass starts were a big hit at KSA国际影视传媒檃mba up to about two years ago. Because of concern over ice conditions in recent winters, the race was held along the highway.

SA国际影视传媒淭he river ice became questionable because of low water and the snow cap was breaking through where the water was shallow so they didnSA国际影视传媒檛 want to risk it,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淪o the last time we just ran from the Super A towards Enterprise.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e doing the same thing this year because the river froze up rough and it is hard to put in the track. You donSA国际影视传媒檛 want to hurt the dogs.SA国际影视传媒�

While he enjoys the competition and believes the quality of the race has gotten better over the years, Buggins said he just likes being around his dogs.

SA国际影视传媒淓verybody has good dogs now and whoever puts in the proper training does well,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 grew up around dogs and my uncles used to trap with dogs. So we always had dogs.SA国际影视传媒�

Another racer, Anthony Beck, said he spent about 15 years at the KSA国际影视传媒檃mba race before finally winning. He is planning on entering the six-dog race and always liked being able to mush in front of Hay River crowds.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檝e raced it many years and obviously with it being my hometown, itSA国际影视传媒檚 always exciting to to do well,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲hen you have fans and people that come out and sponsors you always want to be able to do good for them.SA国际影视传媒�

Beatrice Lepine spent about 15 years between the 1900s and 2000s volunteering to help organize and coordinate the races and helped record race timing.

Now retired from organizing, she said as a spectator she has been pleased with how the dog race has contributed to the legacy of KSA国际影视传媒檃mba.

SA国际影视传媒淲e did (the dog race organizing) together for a long time and I have fond memories of it,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚t was hard work and it was an intense experience.

SA国际影视传媒淲e often had a lot of teams come in from the US and other southern provinces but it varied from year to year what we would get and it often depended on the race circuit down south.SA国际影视传媒�

Lepine said being able to have a winter carnival in Hay River and KSA国际影视传媒檃tlodeeche First Nation after 40 years is an important accomplishment and should be attributed to the reserveSA国际影视传媒檚 commitment to community every year and the energy of the regionSA国际影视传媒檚 volunteers.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a marvel really every year, with the volunteers on the reserve and in town,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a five or six day carnival total but for me it was always the weekend event with the dog races.SA国际影视传媒�