Saskatchewan bids for NAIG

Page 6

While the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) council struggles to pull the next games in Buffalo, New York out of the fire, in Saskatchewan the focus has shifted to the 2008 games.

The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) and the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan (MNS) are partners in a bid to hold NAIG in Regina in 2008. The bid also has the support of the city of Regina, the government of Saskatchewan and Sask Sport Inc., said Shirley Greyeyes MacDonald, director of sports, culture, youth and recreation with the FSIN and co-chair of the 2008 bid committee.

The FSIN/MNS bid is up against a competing bid being put together by the Cowichan First Nation in B.C. Two other bids, one from Ontario and one from Quebec, have been withdrawn. Both Saskatchewan and B.C. have already had a turn at hosting the games-the 1993 NAIG took place in Prince Albert, while the 1997 games were held in Vancouver.

The first NAIG was held in Edmonton in 1990. The games are now held every three years, with hosting duties alternating between Canada and the United States.

The games will come to Canada in 2008, despite the fact that the event scheduled for 2005 will be held in 2006, Greyeyes MacDonald said. The 2005 games were postponed a year after the NAIG council rescinded the Buffalo Sports Society's hosting rights when the society failed to get their completed bid package in to the council by deadline. The society also had some trouble coming up with the $1 million performance bond that was required under the NAIG bid process.

If the Saskatchewan bid for 2008 is successful, there shouldn't be any problems with funding, Greyeyes MacDonald explained, because a funding framework is already in place. With NAIG recognized as a national multi-sport games, a total of $7 million would be provided to host the games, with half coming from the province and half from the federal government.

Saskatchewan's bid has a lot to offer, Greyeyes MacDonald said, from the partnerships that have been formed with various levels of government and organizations, to the province's commitment to promoting Aboriginal involvement in sport.

"I think those are key. A lot of the partnerships we have with the different sports are key. The fact that the chiefs across the province are supporting this bid. We have financial commitment from the federal, provincial and municipal governments. So the city of Regina is coming forth," she said.

The city is doing more than just providing financial support to the bid. It is also anteing up the infrastructure needed to host an event like NAIG. Regina is in the midst of preparations to host the 2005 Canada Games, upgrading some sporting facilities and creating others.

"So all the facilities will be there for us to use. The commitment is there from the city of Regina for us to access all those facilities for this bid," Greyeyes MacDonald said.

"We've presented an excellent bid, so we're feeling pretty good about it."

The final decision on who will host the 2008 games will be made during a NAIG meeting scheduled for Oct. 21 to 23.