Team Alberta athletes during the opening ceremony of the 2023 North American Indigenous Games 2023 in Halifax. (Photo via Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press)
The 2027 North American Indigenous Games will be held in Calgary.
It beat out the bid from Kamloops and Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc, with the games set to return to Alberta for the first time since the inaugural edition in 1990 that was held in Edmonton.
“While we are disappointed that Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc was not successful in their bid to host the 2027 NAIG, we would like to very sincerely congratulate the City of Calgary on their success,” Tk’emlúps Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir said Friday.
“We look forward to cheering on our members and other athletes from B.C. as they compete in the wonderful city of Calgary.”
Casimir said she was also grateful to the number of people who helped work on the Tk’emlúps bid, including Kamloops Sports Council, Kamloops Airport, Pacific Sport, Thompson Rivers University, Tourism Kamloops, and Niki Remesz.
“We had an awesome team working with us and we should all be proud of the teamwork and what we accomplished,” Casimir said.
Casimir and Kamloops mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson were both in Halifax for the announcement Friday as was Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek.
“The City of Kamloops is, of course, disappointed that Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc was not chosen to host the 2027 North American Indigenous Games. The bid, site visit and final presentation were excellent,” Hamer-Jackson added.
“We worked together to showcase the incredible cultural opportunities and amenities we offer, but it was not our time to host. We congratulate Calgary on their successful bid and wish them an awesome Games in 2027.”
The host community is expected to welcome around 6,000 athletes, coaches, team staff, and cultural performers for eight days of competition in the summer of 2027.
