Another year is in the books for the La Ronge Winter Festival and this includes a new king and queen trapper.
Richard Charles of Stanley Mission is the 2020 king trapper and Clarissa Burns of Prince Albert is queen trapper.
This is Burns’ fifth win in a row at the La Ronge event and she said every competition is exciting and important.
“I was probably 14 or 13-years-old when I first started with my mom, who was also a queen trapper,” she said. “I did grow up doing this for a long time and I feel it carries on the Aboriginal traditions. So, I am happy and proud to do that.”
Charles, who won his event for a second straight year, said he agrees every competition is special.
“It means a lot,” he said. “I bump into these guys. Some of them are really good (at the) events, some of them are not. So, same thing with me but I’ve got to keep at it.”
Charles garnered a total of 34 points and Burns 31 in their respective competitions.
Some of the individual events include trap setting, log sawing, animal calling, axe throwing and a snowshoe race.
For their efforts, Charles and Burns both receive $1,500 in cash.
The La Ronge Winter Festival ran from Feb. 28 to Mar. 8.
(PHOTO: Clarissa Burns, left, and Richard Charles, right, are this year’s La Ronge Winter Festival king and queen trapper. Photo by Brandon White.)