Planning and development is well on its way in preparation for the Tony Cote Summer Games. (Kevin Roberts/Facebook)

By Derek Cornet

huge event

Planning well underway for Tony Cote Summer Games

May 29, 2024 | 5:06 PM

There are 65 days left until the start of the Tony Cote Summer Games and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band is well into the planning and development phase.

That’s according to Jonas Roberts Memorial Community Centre (JRMCC) director of sports and recreation Kevin Roberts, who said a delegation from the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations spent the last two days in the community touring the area and receiving an update on the band’s planning efforts.

The delegation consisted of the federation’s sports, culture and recreation board, as well as representatives from Saskatchewan’s tribal councils such as recreation coordinators and workers.

The band currently has several upgrades on the go and they plan to use several off-reserve facilities.

“We’re doing a track upgrade. It will all be covered in rubber, so it will be a rubberized track. We will have the runways for the long jump and triple jump. Those will all be rubberized as well. We are also building a four-court beach volleyball facility at Senator Myles Venne School (SMVS),” Roberts explained.

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“We are renovating the SMVS ball diamond. That will all be fenced in and there will be some fresh shale in the infield. We are rebuilding a whole new diamond at Bell’s Point School. They are taking down the backstop and redirecting the direction of it, the location and from there we will fence it in. There, as well, we will shale the infield.”

Eagle Point will be utilized for its nine-hole golf course, as well as its marina area for canoeing on McGibbon Bay. The band also hopes to use La Ronge’s Morley Wilson Park as a soccer venue, as well as Churchill Community High School and Pre-Cam Community School as overflow facilities. Permission to use the schools and Morley Wilson Park still needs to be granted.

At a regular La Ronge council meeting this week, the band was granted the use of the Mel Hegland Uniplex from Aug. 10-15. That includes an in-kind donation of $4,750. Town council seemed eager to support the band with whatever requests are asked of them.

“We’ve been getting a great response from the local governments regarding using some off-reserve facilities and it has been really great to have their support,” Roberts said.

As for accommodations, the band has approached the La Ronge Elk’s Club to utilize the fairgrounds for outdoor camping. The band has also secured local hotel rooms, as well as 130 campsites at Nemeiben Lake, Nut Point and Waden Bay campgrounds.

The band’s health, and prevention and recovery staff will also be hosting a cultural village at the urban reserve downtown La Ronge.

“We are pretty confident we can house everybody,” Roberts said. “We have done it before and we look forward to the continued planning of the event.”

The band will host hundreds of Indigenous youth and chaperons who will be competing in a variety of events, including athletics, archery, canoe/kayaking, beach volleyball, golf, soccer, and softball. The Games are scheduled to be played from Aug. 10-16.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com