The Western Canada Summer Games (WCSG) were established in 1975 as a multi-sport event to provide development opportunities for amateur athletes and to help them advance their skills in a competitive, but friendly environment.

Over several decades in all areas of Western Canada there had been a remarkable hosting of sports competitions of all kinds held under a wide variety of authorities.

These had been local and area competitions, regional and provincial games, some featuring many sports, some held in the winter season, some in the summer, and some staged indoors with others, outdoors.

That conclusion was not a criticism of the benefits of existing sports programs but recognition that athletes were not progressing along the continuum to achieve national and international results.

At the 1995 Games in Abbotsford, B.C., team sizes were reduced to approximately 500 athletes and coaches participating in 23 sports with many of them focusing on developmental age groups.

In June 2003, Nunavut debuted as the third Territory to participate, and brought the total membership of the Western Canada Summer Games to 7 jurisdictions.