LAC LA BICHE - J.A Williams (JAWS) High School in Lac La Biche will host the 30th edition of the Alberta Francophone Games over the May 24 weekend.
Keegan Paterson, the associate-director and sporting events at the Francophone Sports Federation of Alberta (FSFA), said the 2024 games will feature about 575 youth from across the province. Just over 100 of those young athletes will represent Zone 5, which includes Lakeland communities such as St. Paul, Plamondon, Lac La Biche, and Bonnyville.
The athletes, Paterson continued, will be participating in a variety of sports, along with art and cultural activities.
“This year, participants will be competing in volleyball, basketball, Kinball, soccer, ultimate frisbee, badminton, and pickleball,” he told Lakeland This Week. “There are also art competitions in visual arts, music, and improv.”
Paterson continued by saying that each year, the FSFA looks to partner with local businesses and entrepreneurs to organize the Alberta Francophone Games. The games, he continued, are made possible by businesses and other local sponsors who, in exchange for their support, receive visibility.
Since 1993, the Alberta Francophone Games have brought together Francophone students in Grades 7-12 from across the Wildrose Province for a weekend of sports competition.
In that time, Paterson said, the games have grown from three disciplines – badminton, volleyball, and athletics – and 150 athletes participating, to well over 500 athletes in 10 disciplines.
Paterson said the Alberta Francophone Games, which were held in Sylvan Lake last May, are a rare opportunity for French-speaking Albertans to come together and compete. In addition to the competitive atmosphere, these young athletes also have an occasion to celebrate their heritage and culture.
“The games also serve to highlight the vibrant French culture that the participants are all a part of,” he explained. “They allow for the development of relationships between French speakers from around the province through friendly competition.”
The weekend of celebration of Francophone sport includes an opening ceremony on Friday evening and a social evening on Saturday. The closing ceremony takes place on Sunday afternoon.
For more information about the 2024 Alberta Francophone Games, contact the Francophone Sport Federation of Alberta.
