CANADA GAMES 101

The Canada Games are Canada’s largest multi-sport event for developing youth who are pursuing sport excellence at provincial, national, and international levels. The 2023 Canada Winter Games in Prince Edward Island will feature 3,600 athletes, 20 sports, 13 provinces and territories, 15 days of competition, and a major arts and cultural festival. Over 100,000 alumni across the nation can proudly say they have been a part of the Canada Games. 

The Games are held every two years, alternating between summer and winter games. The Games are hosted in different parts of Canada on a provincial/territorial rotational basis. Saskatchewan has played host three times during the Games’ 52-year history: 1971 in Saskatoon (Winter); 1989 in Saskatoon (Summer); and 2005 in Regina (Summer). The last Canada Winter Games were hosted in Red Deer, Alberta in 2019. 

The Canada Games were created by the Amateur Athletic Union, a private, not-for-profit National Sport Organization, with significant funding provided by the federal and Quebec governments. Following the formation of Fitness and Amateur Sport Canada in 1968, the Canada Games became a program of the federal government. In 1991, the Canada Games Council, a private, not-for-profit organization was formed to steward the Games. 

Quebec City hosted the first Canada Winter Games in 1967 as part of Canada’s centennial celebrations. The first summer version of the Games was staged two years later in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Each province has hosted the Games at least once, and to date, Yukon has been the first and only territory to play host. The 50th anniversary of the Canada Games was celebrated at the 2017 Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, MB and this year marks the 56th anniversary!

Athletes from all provinces and territories in Canada who qualify through a formal selection process participate in the Games. In 1993, the Canada Games added competitions for athletes with disabilities, including Para sport and Special Olympic disciplines. Each provincial and territorial government is responsible for coordinating the formation of a provincial/territorial team, with the assistance of the respective provincial/territorial sport governing bodies. 

The Canada Games Council governs the Games. National Sport Organizations (NSOs) are responsible for establishing the competitive categories and technical requirements for the Games in conjunction with the Provincial Sport Organizations (PSOs) and the Canada Games Council. The host municipality establishes a Host Society, consisting of community volunteers who are responsible for planning, fundraising, marketing, organizing, and staging the Games.