UNITY - The sport of dog sledding has been a long-time passion for Randy Sander and Amanda Grant of Unity. Throughout their experiences they have also looked to inspire another generation of sled dog racers through involvement with their teams.
The Press-Herald has previously reported on novice musher Jairo Demafelix, new to Canada, thoroughly enjoyed his involvement in the sport.
Recently, due to chance circumstances, Kaden Bertoia, age 15 and in Grade 10 at UCHS, has come on board with the Sander/Grant dog sled teams.
Grant tells the Press-Herald / SASKTODAY.ca, “In winter of 2020, I was looking for someone to drive a [snowmobile] to follow behind a team of dogs driven by another one of our novice mushers. I saw a young man whom I recognized as our neighbour ... in the field on the way back to my office one night in Nov. 2020 so I called his dad. Funny thing is the immediate reaction from his dad was, 'What did he do wrong?'”
When Grant explained what she was looking for, Kaden agreed to take on the task. She also offered for him to take a team of dogs out on the sleigh for a run to see what he thought of the experience and pure satisfaction was his instant reaction.
Kaden has been running dogs with Grant ever since. Kaden helps work with the couple’s 34 dogs and does training with one of the race teams as well as with the retired race dogs.
Dog-sledding amazing sport for young people
Grant says, “Kaden was a natural on the sleigh which I attribute to his abilities with snowboarding. I believe the timing of Kaden joining us was important as it was a tough winter on our youth being that covid restrictions prevented them from enjoying so many activities. Running dogs gave him something to look forward to and something to spend his time doing that was good for his physical and mental health. The opportunity to run dogs gave him a reason to be happy and hopeful again and brought something positive into his life during a time that he needed that the most.”
Grant says animals are excellent therapy in a variety of settings and their sled dogs are no exception. Kaden has learned how important the bond is between a musher and his or her dogs.
“In my opinion, dog-sledding is an amazing sport for young people to get into as it provides them with many positive experiences, teaches them a number of skills and builds their confidence while giving them a chance to bond with the dogs.”
Kaden’s first race was to be the Tom Ouellette Memorial Sled Dog Race which was slated for Loon Lake Feb. 11-12. However, due to poor trail conditions the event was rescheduled for March 5-6, falling on the same weekend as the Torch River Run, which is set to be Kaden and Amanda’s younger sister Natalie Fisher’s first race. Kaden was set to run a team of six dogs in this event, along with Grant.
“I would estimate that Kaden has put in an average of 20-25 hours per week in dog training and another six to eight hours a week feeding and care for the dogs, maintaining trails and completing other dog-related chores.”
Because Randy Sander suffered a knee injury several years ago, and due to his increasingly busy schedule at the office, he has not been able to train and race the dogs, leaving Grant to the task of caretaking, training and racing. She has enlisted a number of Unity residents in the past including Scott Young, Jairo, Gianne and Gio Demafelix. The addition of Kaden and Natalie has been a great boost to their dog training/racing program for the 2021-2022 season. Kaden’s 14 year-old younger cousin Ethan has also come on board this year, when his other sports allow him time. Grant’s 12 year-old niece, Simarra Fisher, has also been out a lot with them this winter. In addition, a young lady named Sarah Kerley from Kerrobert has been part of their team this year. Bernie Winterhalt has also been a member of the team for the last few years. Although she does not train or race the dogs, she can be found in the dog yard weekdays looking after various chores for the dogs. She, too, has grown to love the dogs and, thanks to her, they get plenty of additional love and attention.
Grant says she has participated in races every year for the last 13 years and was to compete in two more in 2022. She and Kaden had planned to do the six-dog sprint race as mentioned earlier in this story prior to freezing rain making a mess of the race trail. Kaden, Natalie and Amanda will each run an eight-dog team at the Torch River Run Sled Dog Race in The Christopher Lake area March 5-6. The race will include three mushers, including Grant and 24 dogs at the Torch River Run, which is an 80-mile race over two days with a variety of trails and gorgeous northern Saskatchewan scenery along the way.
Grant adds that the Torch River Run is supported by a number of Unity and area businesses which has enabled the race to continue giving both novice and experienced mushers the opportunity to participate in a competitive and enjoyable race in the province.
