Parents raise concerns about sleeping conditions at N.L. Winter Games

Arch Pardy, a resident of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, is one of the parents who heard from their children participating in the N.L. Winter Games about sleeping on the floor. His son, who plays for Team Indigenous, wasn't given a cot or an air mattress, but a thin foam mattress. (Cherie Wheeler/CBC)

Some parents of athletes at the N.L. Winter Games in Gander are raising concerns about the accommodations for their children. Some Labrador athletes on Team Indigenous, a team that represents Indigenous athletes from across the province, were provided a thin rolled mattress to sleep on while other athletes had cots or air mattresses.

Arch Pardy from Happy Valley-Goose Bay heard from his son on Saturday night about his sleeping arrangements.

"He had a pad ... something you would put under a sleeping bag if you were out in the country or something like that," Pardy said. "Not an air mattress, by no means."

In a statement on Sunday, N.L. Winter Games said they "ensured that all athletes had appropriate housing for their games experience."

"All Athletes from all regions who were attending the games were asked to bring an air mattress that they could use during their stay," the statement said. "Athletes who were coming by plane with baggage restrictions were provided with either an air mattress or a cot upon arrival."

However, Pardy said that was not the case.

"It was a little discouraging to see that statement from N.L. Games today," Pardy said. "Basically, saying that we were not telling the truth."

The picture was submitted by Arch Pardy of the foam mattress his son received instead of a cot or an air mattress. The N.L. Winter Games management told them not to bring any mattresses or cots themselves as they would be provided. Pardy says this was not what they expected. (Submitted by Arch Pardy)

"They were expecting cots," Pardy said. "You go from expecting you're going to be off the floor. Now you're on the floor with a little pad. It's just not good enough."

Co-chairs of the N.L. Winter Games Tara Pollett and Geoff Goldsworthy, said for many years, athletes had to bring their own sleeping accommodations. However, athletes from Labrador were instructed not to bring any cots or mattresses to save on travel expenses and instead were assured that a supply of cots and mattresses would be available for them.

Pollett said a total of 65 cots and 36 mattresses were provided to the 90 athletes from Labrador.

"If we could provide cots for everybody, certainly we would have, but it's hard to find 600 cots at one time," said Goldsworthy.

"Everybody was accommodated last night," Pollett said. "If you call sleeping on the floor, sleeping on a foam mattress, well yeah, I guess as opposed to a cot. But that might have been indicated that it was all going to be cots, but it's cots and mattresses."

Geoff Goldsworthy and Tara Pollett are volunteers and co-chairs in the N.L. winter games. They say there was no intention to make anyone "feel less than" and that they didn't have enough cots for all the athletes from Labrador, but mattresses were given out. (Cherie Wheeler/CBC)

Goldsworthy said there might have been a miscommunication about expectations between the parents and the athletes regarding the sleeping arrangements.

"It was never anybody's intention to dismiss or make anybody feel less than," Pollett said.

Another issue affecting all the athletes was the heat in the building. The co-chairs said that the school where the kids were staying had an automatic system that turned off the heat at night. They said that issue that has now been addressed.

Several parents took to social media on Sunday morning to raise attention to the sleeping arrangements. NDP MHA Lela Evans of Torngat Mountains told CBC News that she received several emails and messages from concerned parents.

"Parents last night were quick to react and call attention to the fact that some of their athletes were sleeping on the floor," she said.

However, Evans said the committee informed her that it was a logistical issue.

"They were valid concerns for a provincial event," Evans said. "But that being said too, it was the first night and it wasn't intentional. The way the team was treated was something that just sort of happened by miscommunication and misinformation. And it's being addressed quickly and hopefully now that the games will go on and be very successful and everyone will have fun."

As for Pardy, he said that although his son had an uncomfortable night, he is focused on the game and remains in good spirits nonetheless.

"Thankfully, based on the information we received, it sounds like they're going to be making sure that the cots are available for everybody today," Pardy said. "And I've been encouraging my son to stay there, to take in that very significant part of the games - the experience and the camaraderie."

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