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February 1967, in Québec City, the dream was finally realized. For the first time in Canada’s history, 1,800 athletes from 10 provinces and two territories gathered to compete in 15 sports. Under the Games motto ‘Unity through Sport’, these first Canada Winter Games paved the way to what is now Canada’s largest multi-sport competition for young athletes.
Held every two years, alternating between summer and winter, the Canada Games are a key event in the development of Canada’s young athletes. As the best in their age group, these young competitors come to the Games having trained long and hard to be among those chosen to represent their respective province or territory and compete for the Canada Games Flag and Centennial Cup. With the Canada Games poised as a key step in the development of Canada’s future stars, Canada Games athletes are Canada’s next generation national, international and Olympic champions.
The Canada Games and their lasting legacies continue to be the catalyst for the growth of sport and recreation across the country.
Since 1967, over 100,000 athletes have participated in the Games with hundreds of thousands having engaged in try-outs and qualifying events. Over 100,000 coaches, officials and volunteers have been directly involved in the planning and staging of the Games. Cumulatively, $300 million has been invested in the Canada Games, about half of it in capital projects in the various host communities. From the Saint John Canada Games Aquatic Centre (1985) to the Hillside Stadium and Aquatic Centre in Kamloops, B.C. (1993); from the Corner Brook Canada Games Centre and Annex (1999) to the TD Waterhouse Stadium in London, Ontario (2001), a legacy of sports facilities has been built in over 21 communities across Canada.
Over 300 new and existing sports venues have benefited from capital improvements because of the opportunity to host a Canada Games. From arenas to pools, fields to courts, close to 500 venues in total have been upgraded to national standards through the Canada Games resulting in the availability of quality venues to host other provincial, national or international events.
The Canada Games, a celebration of youth, sport, culture and community, are the product of ongoing collaboration between the Government of Canada, provincial/territorial governments, host municipalities, the private sector and the Canada Games Council. In February 2011, thousands of our country's best and brightest will set their sights on Nova Scotia as Halifax hosts the Canada Winter Games.
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