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 Tony
was born on the Cote First Nation Reservation to Frank
and Ellen Cote, Tony is the youngest of 10 children, he
has 7 brothers and 3 sisters.He was educated at the St. Phillips Residential School for 7 long years, then attended the Cote First Nation Day School for 2 years. At the age of seventeen, Tony joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1952 and served with the 81st Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. His service was in Canada then on March 22, 1953 his unit was shipped to Korea and remained there for 14 months. Upon returning from Korea Tony re-enlisted for another three years and was stationed in Utopia, NB Canadian Forces Base for one year then his unit was shipped off to Germany in October 1955 to December 1957. Tony was then released from the Army on May 18, 1958. Tony then started working in various capacities in the labour market. He worked as a labourer, carpenter, then he proceeded to Alberta to seek employment. He was hired as a Senior Child Care supervisor at the Sturgeon Lake Residential School, he remained there for a year then moved to Fort Vermillion Residential School and then to Desmarias, Wabasca, Alberta till November 1967.
Tony then moved to La Loche to work for the Big "C" for a year. Then moved to La Ronge and was the Executive Director for the Nor Sask Native Outreach Inc.
Tony and Sadie raised 7 children; 3 boys and 4 girls. He now has 26 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren and maintains his residency on the Cote First Nation Reservation. Links: |
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He then came home to serve as
the first Welfare Administrator and Recreation Director
for the Cote First Nation. In 1970 he was elected as the
Chief of his First Nation Band till 1978 and was also
involved with the FSI. He held a number of senior
positions with the Federation beginning in 1969 as the
Education Community Development Officer, Recreation
Director for the FSI then he was elected as the FSI
Executive treasurer of Finance till October 1980. Tony
then went to work for the Federal Government in a
department known as the Canada Employment and Immigration
Commission, CEIC. His job title there was Special Advisor
to the Regional Director of the CEIC. He advised the
Regional Director General in Indian/Native Affairs
regarding Employment Services etc.
In 1995 Tony was elected as the Yorkton Tribal
Council representative now known as the Yorkton Tribal
Council Chief.