Chris Clegg
South Peace News
At least five years will have passed the next time the Treaty 8 First Nations Cup is held in High Prairie.
Organizers have announced the tournament, which brings hundreds of thousands of dollars in economic activity to the town, will be going back to Slave Lake this year (2025) and 2026. The tournament was last held in High Prairie in 2022.
Organizer Clyde Goodswimmer says the committee feels they are not welcome in High Prairie and will deal with a new town council for the 2027 event and beyond.
Meanwhile, the Town of High Prairie says they have done everything they can to bring the tournament back to town.
Goodswimmer says that despite the fact ice rates increased in Slave Lake this ice season, the Town of Slave Lake offered the same ice rates as last year, thus saving the committee over $120 per hour. The offer was contingent on the committee signing a two-year agreement to keep the event in Slave Lake.
Goodswimmer wants to keep the doors open to coming back to High Prairie.
“We’d gladly go back to High Prairie but there is a feeling we’re not wanted,” he adds.
“I think the feeling is (we) would like to try and rotate it.”
The tournament has been held the majority of its existence in High Prairie.
Goodswimmer says another factor in the committee’s decision was they polled the communities involved in the event and most expressed a desire to go back to Slave Lake.