The Tony Cote First Nation Winter Games are set to get underway Friday in Saskatoon, as James Smith Cree Nation plays host to the Games.

The Games run from April 7-13, with badminton, basketball, curling, hockey, table tennis, volleyball and traditional hand games.

On Apr. 9, a Parade of Nations will be held at Prairieland Park from 6-9 p.m. at the Every Child Matters gathering spot. The event will feature a traditional hand games competition, a parade of nations, live DJs, a vendor’s market and inspirational speakers.

The Saskatchewan First Nations Summer Games, as it was previously known, began in 1974 under the leadership of Tony Cote, who was the first Chief of the Cote First Nation. The Games were an idea of Cote’s to provide opportunities in sport to youth who were excluded from mainstream sport systems. 

In 1980, the Winter Games were added, and it was in 2017, nearly 43 after Tony Cote’s vision came to fruition, that the Games were renamed in his honour.

For more information on the games, visit tonycotewintergames.ca.

To learn more about Cote, here’s a story  on his significance and stature in Saskatchewan Sport.