One team has chosen to drop out of this year’s Tony Cote Summer Games.
The Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs says they will not be sending their athletes to compete in La Ronge next week.
The tribal council put out a statement on Tuesday citing concerns over air quality as the reason why they are choosing not to compete.
The BATC says it is with “deep regret” they are pulling from the games, but their first priority is the health and safety of their youth, chaperones, and volunteers.
Meanwhile, the Tony Cote Games Host Organization put out a follow-up statement.
The organizing committee says the smoke advisory, which is in effect for northern Saskatchewan First Nations, is precautionary in nature and is not expected to have impacts on people outside the most sensitive groups.
They say they are monitoring the air quality situation in-consultation with the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority and the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.
According to the committee, the smoke situation in La Ronge is anticipated to stay within “seasonal normal” limits for the next 72 hours, although there may be times of higher smoke levels.
The host committee says at this time, there are no plans to cancel or postpone the 2024 Tony Cote Summer Games.
The games are set to begin on August 10.
(TOP PHOTO: A lance runner makes the trek from Saskatoon to La Ronge. Photo by the Tony cote Games Organizing Comittee.)