Canada 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 separate programs are organized in order to cover the seasons of summer and winter: the Canada Summer Games and the Canada Winter Games.

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 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 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 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 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, Canada Games Aquatic Centre (1985) in Saint John, New Brunswick, 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 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 made a return to the 2022 Canada Summer Games 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, 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 will be making a return to the Summer Games during the 2022 Canada Summer Games. 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.

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
**BC Winter Games
*Saskatchewan Games
*Quebec Games
* Western Canada Summer Games
*Alberta Winter Games
*Saskatchewan Games
* Manitoba Games
*Ontario Games
*Western Canada Summer Games

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