Jeux Canada Games

Blue text around an illustration of a blue snowflake with red circles and a red maple leaf in the center on a white background

The 1979 winter Canada Games were held in Brandon, Manitoba. A multi-sport competition for young amateur athletes held every two years, the games first started in Quebec City in 1967, as part of Canada’s Centennial celebration and is now one of Canada’s largest competitions for sports. The city of Brandon gained a $3 million new sportsplex, complete with hockey arena seating for 400 people, 50 meter six-lane swimming pool, racquetball courts and a speed skating oval. In preparation for the event, the city went through a facelift, with money put in to beautify a number of schools and facilities. More than $1 million was raised by the Friends of the Games. The chosen mascot, Brandy Bison was a nod to the unique area of Manitoba, where large herds of bison live.