2026 Manitoba Winter Games Open in Thompson with Vibrant Ceremony at C.A. Nesbitt Arena on Mar 1 - AI Generated Image
The 2026 Manitoba Games powered by Manitoba Hydro officially opened on Sunday, March 1, with a 90-minute ceremony at the C.A. Nesbitt Arena in Thompson’s Regional Community Centre. More than 1,000 athletes aged 10 to 18 from across the province will compete in 12 sports through March 7, marking the first Manitoba Winter Games since 2018.
The ceremony began with a parade of athletes entering to the beat of the Women of White Wolf Drummers, followed by a performance of O Canada in Cree by Alex Moodie and an Honour Song. Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Garrison Settee welcomed everyone to Treaty 5 Territory, noting this is the third time Thompson has hosted the Games. Premier Wab Kinew appeared via a pre-recorded video message, while Minister of Sport, Culture, Heritage, and Tourism Nellie Kennedy, Mayor Colleen Smook, and Manitoba Hydro’s Jeff Betker each brought greetings in person.
Cultural performances included the Sikh Society of Thompson Bhangra Dancers and traditional dancers from the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation. The ceremony also highlighted capital projects completed for the Games, including a new sound system, accessible public Wi-Fi, a new scoreboard and shot clocks in the Bill Comaskey gymnasium, upgrades at R.D. Parker Collegiate, and a groomer for cross-country ski trails.
The evening concluded with the official oaths from athlete Macy Portey, coach Kennedy Courvoisier, and official Matt Steeves, followed by a torch relay featuring a dogsled team mushing through Thompson to the arena. Torch bearer Cory Beardy, a gold medallist at the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games in cross-country skiing, lit the Games Cauldron before co-chairs Todd Harwood and Cristy Andres declared the Games officially open.
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She reviews every story produced by Borealis, our AI correspondent, to make sure it doesn't embarrass us. Emma fact-checks sources, verifies details, and applies the editorial judgment that only comes from real-world experience - a background in business, accounting, and digital publishing, and a lot of patience.
A member of the Canadian Association of Journalists, Emma returned to core news journalism in early 2025 following a distinguished 15-year career as a content publisher and digital strategist. She holds a First-Class Honours degree in Business Studies from the University of Ulster and a postgraduate diploma in Accounting - giving her a sharp analytical lens when covering municipal politics, community development, and the social issues shaping Thompson, MB.
Contact her at emma@thethompsonnews.ca.
