MONTREAL – Walk in to Evergreen Elementary School and the first thing you’ll see is Innugati, a unique lnukshuk meaning “friend” in Inuit.
Take a minute to say hello, take note of the medals the Innugati wears, which showcase Canada’s 2014 Sochi Olympic accomplishments, and take in the feeling of pride that flows through the halls of the St. Lazare school like an electric current.
Not only is Innugati life-sized – as big as some kindergarten students – but it’s made out of more than 500 hockey pucks.
The idea came to the carnival committee when they were searching for a unique way to express pride in Canadian Olympians during the school carnival week.
What better material to use than the hockey pucks that embody one of Canada’s favourite national pastimes.
The committee reached out to the Evergreen community, hoping to get enough pucks so that each student and staff member was represented.
The response yielded more than 500 hockey pucks, more than half of which came from the Hockey Feminin Trois Lacs, which organizes girls’ hockey in the off-island region.
Students and teachers worked together in the planning and building of Innugati and then all took part in finding the perfect name through a school-wide contest.
Traditionally, Inuksuit (the plural of Inukshuk) were used by the Inuit in the North as directional markers.
Their purpose was to guide people to their destinations or to food.
Made out of stone, they required a communal effort to be built.
With time Inuksuit have evolved into global symbols of friendship and community.
As proud Evergreen Canadians, these symbols represent the heart of our country and the school.
Ingrid Farkas is a parent at Evergreen Elementary School.
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