Marjorie Roden

Special to the Herald

The ability to quickly boil water over an open fire was the deciding factor in the seven-person King Trapper Competition held on Feb. 26-27 outside the Alfred Jenkins Field House.

The two-day outdoor event was a close race, and when all was completed, two brothers took home first and third place.

“Yesterday was nice and warm, and we had a great day,” said Gerald McKenzie, who earned third overall in points during the weekend.

“Everybody came out and (the men) escaped injuries. To the organizers that set it up, the log haulers, and everybody else that came here and helped out with the festival, thank you!”

“It was awesome,” said Richard Charles of Stanley Mission, who took away second place in overall points, admitting “It always comes down to the last event. Every year is like that!”

The 2022 Prince Albert Winter Festival King Trapper is Norman McKenzie. A native of Grandmother’s Bay, Mackenzie did have a bit of disappointment with the competition in that he was hoping to see about ten competitors this weekend.

“It wasn’t advertised as well as it was before, I didn’t hear anything on the radio or social media,” he said. “Maybe next year, it would be a good idea to advertise it more.”

When asked about encouraging future King and Queen trapper competitors, Norman talked about the health benefits of the competition. He said the event was good at helping people, including himself, stay active.

“It made me quit smoking,” he explained. “Some of these events are pretty tough to do. A lot of kids are stuck at home playing computer games now. It’s like a sport, I would say, and a competition. It’s fun competing with other competitors.”

Norman’s brother Gerald said the event helped them develop important skills when they were young. Now that they’re older, he said it’s time to give back.

“When we were younger, we were told to teach the kids,” Gerald explained. “At home, I have a training area, and I always invite the kids to come, train, and compete with me. If they train with me, I’ll teach them the little tricks we do in competition… That way, you’ll get to learn.

“You’re not going to win right off the bat. It took me a long time to start winning, but I’m getting to that age…I can’t run with the young guys anymore, so it’s a good experience.”

Gerald concluded, “It’s learning how to respect and train together. It’s nice. It’s awesome!”