The Canada Games (french: Jeux du Canada) is a
multi-sport event held every two years, alternating between the Canada Winter Games and the Canada Summer Games. They represent the highest level of national competition for Canadian athletes. Two separate programs are organized in order to cover the seasons of summer and winter: the
Canada Summer Games
The Canada Games (french: Jeux du Canada) is a multi-sport event held every two years, alternating between the Canada Winter Games and the Canada Summer Games. They represent the highest level of national competition for Canadian athletes. Two ...
and the
Canada Winter Games
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by total ...
.
The first Canada Winter Games were the
1967 Canada Winter Games. The next Canada Winter Games will be the
PEI 2023 Canada Winter Games held February 18 – March 5, 2023 in the province of
Prince Edward Island. The most recent Canada Summer Games were the
2022 Canada Summer Games
The 2022 Canada Summer Games or informally as Niagara 2022 is the summer season portion of the Canada Games and a multi-sport event for amateur athletes.
The games took place from August 6–21, 2022 in the Niagara Region of Ontario,, Canada, wi ...
which took place August 6–21, 2022 in the
Niagara Region.
The host cities have not been chosen for the games after 2025 but the provinces through 2035 have been selected. The
2025 Canada Summer Games will be hosted in
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.
The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...
. St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador was named the Host Society of the 2025 Canada Summer Games as of April 22, 2021.
History
The Games were first held in 1967 in
Quebec City as part of Canada's
Centennial
{{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation)
A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years.
Notable events
Notable centennial events at a ...
celebrations. For the first time in Canada's history, 1,800 athletes from 10 provinces and two territories gathered to compete in 15 sports. Since 1967, over 75,000 athletes have participated in the Games. The
Games have been hosted in every province at least once since their inception in
Quebec City during
Canada’s Centennial in 1967. Journalist
Eddie MacCabe
Edward William Joseph MacCabe (January 15, 1927May 22, 1998) was a Canadian sports journalist and writer. He began in journalism with the ''Ottawa Journal'' in 1946, briefly wrote for the ''Montreal Star'' from 1951 and 1952, then returned to t ...
wrote a history book for the 25th anniversary of the Canada Games in 1992.
Facility development
Facilities built for the Games include the
Canada Games Pool (1973) in
New Westminster, British Columbia
New Westminster (colloquially known as New West) is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It was founded by Major-General Richard Moody as the capit ...
,
Canada Games Aquatic Centre (1985) in
Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of Ki ...
, the
Hillside Stadium and Aquatic Centre in
Kamloops, British Columbia (1993), the
Corner Brook Canada Games Centre and Annex (1999), and the
TD Waterhouse Stadium
Western Alumni Stadium (formerly TD Stadium) is an 8,000-seat Canadian football stadium located on the campus of the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. It is home to the Western Mustangs football team and is one of the largest stad ...
in
London, Ontario (2001).
Sports
Over the course of the history of the Canada Games, a variety of sports have been added and dropped at various points within the Summer Games and Winter Games programs. The winter games include some sports not associated with winter. The next Canada Winter Games will include 20 sports in its program in the
2023 Canada Winter Games.
Box lacrosse
Box lacrosse, also known as boxla, box, or indoor lacrosse, is an indoor version of lacrosse played mostly in North America. The game originated in Canada in the 1930s, where it is more popular than field lacrosse. Lacrosse is Canada's officia ...
made a return to the
2022 Canada Summer Games
The 2022 Canada Summer Games or informally as Niagara 2022 is the summer season portion of the Canada Games and a multi-sport event for amateur athletes.
The games took place from August 6–21, 2022 in the Niagara Region of Ontario,, Canada, wi ...
for the first time since 1985.
Former sports
Fencing was previously a Winter Games sport before it was moved to Summer program for the
Sherbrooke 2013 games and then removed altogether following those games.
BMX
BMX, an abbreviation for bicycle motocross or bike motocross, is a cycle sport performed on BMX bikes, either in competitive BMX racing or freestyle BMX, or else in general street or off-road recreation.
History
BMX began during the earl ...
,
field hockey, and
water polo were formerly in the Summer program as well.
Returning sports
Fencing will make a return to the Games during the
2023 Canada Winter Games in
Prince Edward Island.
Box lacrosse
Box lacrosse, also known as boxla, box, or indoor lacrosse, is an indoor version of lacrosse played mostly in North America. The game originated in Canada in the 1930s, where it is more popular than field lacrosse. Lacrosse is Canada's officia ...
will be making a return to the Summer Games during the
2022 Canada Summer Games
The 2022 Canada Summer Games or informally as Niagara 2022 is the summer season portion of the Canada Games and a multi-sport event for amateur athletes.
The games took place from August 6–21, 2022 in the Niagara Region of Ontario,, Canada, wi ...
. It will be the first time the sport will be featured since 1985.
Organization
The games are governed by the
Canada Games Council, a private, non-profit organization. As the Games move from one host community to the next, the Council provides the continuity, leadership and support to Host Societies in key areas such as sport technical, organizational planning, ceremonies and protocol, marketing and sponsorship. In addition, the
Canada Games Council ensures effective long-term partnerships with national sport organizations, governments and the corporate sector. The
Canada Games Council is a well-established, national organization that fosters on-going partnerships with organizations at the municipal, provincial and national levels.
Host Society
The individual games are run by the local Host Society, a non-profit private organization that is established 2–4 years prior to the event. The Host Society functions in accordance with an agreement between the Canada Games Council, the government of Canada, the government of the province or territory and the government of the municipality. The Canada Games Council maintains and secures long-term partnership agreements with governments, corporations and national sport organizations.
Funding
Funding for the games comes from the several levels of government together with donations and corporate sponsorships. A considerable portion of the work during the games is performed by local volunteers.
Canada Games by year
2023 Canada Winter Games
Sports for the 2023 Canada Winter Games in
Prince Edward Island will include the following (''"NGB"'' = National Governing Body''):
Hosts
* The host cities have not been chosen for the games after 2025, but the provinces through 2037 have.
Map of host cities
All-time medal tables
For Games medal standings see
List of Canada Games
The Canada Games are a strictly amateur multi-sport event held in Canada biannually, alternating between Summer and Winter editions. Athletes enter the Games representing each of their respective 13 provinces or territories. The first Games were ...
.
Medal leaders by year
Canada Summer Games
medal table leaders by year:
* 1969:
* 1973:
* 1977:
* 1981:
* 1985:
* 1989:
* 1993:
* 1997:
* 2001:
* 2005:
* 2009:
* 2013:
* 2017:
* 2022:
Canada Winter Games
medal table leaders by year:
* 1967:
* 1971:
* 1975:
* 1979:
* 1983:
* 1987:
* 1991:
* 1995:
* 1999:
* 2003:
* 2007:
* 2011:
* 2015:
* 2019:
Number of occurrences:
* – 16 times (13 Summer; 3 Winter)
* – 11 times (11 Winter)
* – 1 time (1 Summer)
See also
*
BC Games
**
BC Summer Games
The BC Summer Games are an amateur sporting event held every year biennially in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The next games are scheduled to be held in Prince George in July 2022.
See also
* BC Games
**BC Winter Games
*Canada Games
...
**
BC Winter Games
The BC Winter Games are an amateur sporting event held in British Columbia, Canada on every other (even-numbered) year.
The next BC Winter Games are scheduled to be held in Greater Vernon, BC from March 23 to 26, 2023.
History
The BC Games ...
*
Saskatchewan Games
The Saskatchewan Summer Games and Saskatchewan Winter Games are multi-sport events held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The governing body for the Saskatchewan Games is the Saskatchewan Games Council, a non-profit organization who has h ...
*
Quebec Games
The Quebec Games (french: 'Jeux du Québec') is a biennial multi-sport event, held every two years in the Canadian province of Quebec, alternating between the Quebec Winter Games and the Quebec Summer Games. Athletes are strictly amateur only, ...
*
Western Canada Summer Games
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. Athletes range in ...
*
Alberta Winter Games
The Alberta Winter Games (AWG) is a Canadian provincial multi-sport event hosted in the province of Alberta. It is the winter portion of the multi-sport Alberta Games, which also involves the Alberta Summer Games and is strictly for amateur athl ...
*
Saskatchewan Games
The Saskatchewan Summer Games and Saskatchewan Winter Games are multi-sport events held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The governing body for the Saskatchewan Games is the Saskatchewan Games Council, a non-profit organization who has h ...
*
Manitoba Games
*
Ontario Games
*
Western Canada Summer Games
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. Athletes range in ...
References
External links
Official site
{{Multi-sport events
1967 establishments in Canada
Multi-sport events in Canada
National multi-sport events
Recurring sporting events established in 1967
Biennial sporting events