Olympic bronze medalist Akeem Haynes will be presented with a key to the city during a public event at the Yellowknife Fieldhouse Thursday night.
Haynes, 24, won bronze in the 4×100-meter men’s relay alongside fellow Canadians Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney and Andre De Grasse at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The Canadians initially finished fourth in the race behind Jamaica, the United States and Japan. But shortly after finish times were announced, the American team was disqualified because of an illegal baton exchange.
That meant a third place finish and bronze medal for the Canadian team.
While Haynes currently resides in Calgary, he lived in Yellowknife from 1998 to 2004 where he went to Weledeh Catholic School. His mother, Carlene Smith, still lives in the NWT capital.
Haynes has spent over a week in the city now, visiting local schools and talking to students about pursuing their dreams.
He’s expected to do the same Thursday night at the Fieldhouse, followed by a fun demonstration of a 4×100-meter relay.
Thursday’s event will run from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Residents are reminded that they can only wear indoor shoes or socks inside the Yellowknife Fieldhouse.
