YELLOWKNIFE - Today, artists, performers and athletes from around Yellowknife are preparing to make an unprecedented impact on the Canada Winter Games.

Held in Whitehorse this year, the Games - which open today - will feature dozens of Northern artists and musicians joining hundreds of athletes, coaches and youth representatives.

Artist John Sabourin poses with the large raven he created for the Yellowknife Arts Festival last summer. Sabourin will be featured at the Burning Cold National Exhibition at the Canada Winter Games this week. - NNSL file photo

"We're pretty excited," said musician Steve Smith, who will perform with his band Hindsite during the Games' cultural festival starting Feb. 28.

"It's the first time we'll have a lot of NWT artists being showcased as well as southern acts," he said.

Canada Games representative Sunny Patch said this year's festivities are aimed to be inclusive to all of the North.

"The idea behind this is to host in a Northern fashion," she said.

"We're putting our money where our mouth is."

The opening ceremonies will include performers from around the country, but one Yellowknife performer will get an extra share of the spotlight.

Aaron "Godson" Hernandez will perform his song Freezing Point during the opening ceremonies today. He is scheduled to take the stage just before the athletes' march.

"Oh, I'm so stoked to do it," he said. "I've always wanted to do an opening ceremonies of some sort."

His short performance will include one extra feature never before seen at a Godson show - backup dancers.

He said a troupe of dancers have spent weeks rehearsing for the performance, arranged by the Games organizers.

"I won't be alone up there," he said with a laugh.

Afterwards, Hernandez will be representing the territory at the NWT House, along with Pat Braden and the Deh Cho Drummers.

"It's a place where you can go and see what NWT has to offer," he said.

Today will also be the opening of the Games' Burning Cold National Exhibition. The gallery opening will feature select artists from around the country, including representatives from the NWT and Nunavut.

Yellowknife's John Sabourin will join Paulatuk's Floyd Kuptanan at the exhibition, as well as Cape Dorset's Annie Pootoogook and Shuvinai Ashoona.

Sabourin said he is bringing a special piece to the Games, a 60-centimetre-tall black stone sculpture depicting two ravens fighting over a necklace.

"I'm just hoping it will get my name out there," Sabourin said of joining the exhibition.

"I'm just looking forward to opening night I guess, and to meeting everyone."