Gary Bailie

Hall of Fame

Gary Bailie is a former nationally ranked cross-country skier whose love of sport continued to flourish after his competitive career as a coach, founder, and elder with the Kwanlin Koyotes.

Bailie started skiing young when he was recruited by the late Father Jean-Marie Mouchet to be part of the Territorial Experimental Ski Training (TEST) program. It was his time in this program that sparked his passion and belief that skiing enriches both the individual and the community by connecting them with the land, providing motivation and developing physical wellbeing.

This passion for youth sport later led to the creation of the Kwanlin Koyotes youth ski program in Whitehorse. Bailie’s hard work was spent over many hours grooming trails in the McIntyre subdivision and showing young people the joy of staying active through the long winter months.

The Kwanlin Koyotes are a unique skiing program in the Yukon, as it doesn’t emphasize competition and winning but insists upon the personal growth of the individual through sport as its only priority.

As a coach and elder, Bailie’s work with the Kwanlin Koyotes ski program has enriched the lives of First Nation youth and the cross country skiing community for many years.