The Canada 2025 Games, an adventure for northern athletes

A record number of 311 young athletes from the three territories in northern Canada are gathered as part of the Canada 2025 Games. Well aware of the resources available to the athletes in the provinces, they nevertheless experience large victories outside the podium.

Tyler Richard, Yukon basketball player, draws up a positive assessment of the game he has just played against Saskatchewan. We had a lot of energy, we made good points, and we played together, as a teamhe sums up. It was a good part to look at, even if we lost by 30 points.

The young Yukonnais remains realistic about the hopes of medals of his team. Distant to competitive circles from the provinces, the players had only one competition experience outside the territory before flying to Saint-Jean, in Newfoundland and Labrador.

That’s it, our goal: to be a team that everyone can look at by saying that we are working hard. We want to be proudhe specifies.

Logan Doll, tennis player from the Northwest Territories (TN-O.), Evolves in a similar context. It’s hard to play T.N.-O.admits the 16 -year -old adolescent. There are few competitors my age. We always play against the same 5 or 10 people.

Far from complaining about it, the athlete says he is proud to have surpassed his expectations. We are a little stronger than expected. Our expectations were simply to win a round, and we exceeded this goal!

Princess Siewe, 16, is part of the very first Nunavut basketball team to participate in the Canada Games. We continue to work hard and show the strongest of ourselves with each game. And we always keep the spirit strong, even if we continue to loseshe says.

For her, the trip to Saint-Jean is an opportunity to compete with other girls of her level, few in numerous in Nunavut. We are very far from other communities in the territoryunderlines the athlete of Iqaluit. We may have two or three opportunities per year to make competitions with three players against three.

A strong spirit of mutual aid also wins the cohort, happy to be able to encourage its rivals of the Yukon and T.N.-O. We are always together, we understand each other. When [le Yukon et les T.N.-O.] Play, we are still there to encourage them. It’s very warm to receive this love from other territories!

Accessible experiences

The North also has its advantages for lovers of sports competitions. Experiences like those of Canada Games would, for example, be much more accessible than in the provinces.

Anyone who wants to play can do it here. If I didn’t live [au Yukon]I might not be there right nowexplains Tyler Richard, aware of the difficulty of joining teams in the more populous Canada regions.

Logan Doll also encourages young Ténois to seize this unique opportunity offered by distant regions. Try to go to Canada Games!he says. It’s a great experience!

Seeing other game methods and other strategies in the South, it really pushes youhe explains. Every time I was able to go out [des T.N.-O.] To play tennis or squash, my game immediately improved.

Dhalia Lapointe, head of the Yukon cycling team, says he is happy to have lived the imposing opening ceremony, then to have the opportunity, with her team, to surpass himself on the track.

It is good to see how athletes can work in a larger environment and a larger system. It is sometimes a little scary, but it is, sometimes, to be afraid!she says.

The cyclist is also aware of the contribution of her team in the evolution of sport at the Yukon. It would be good to be able […] Show Yukon young people that we have a good team, and that they can join us. We hope to have more competitions!she underlines.

Lucy Steele-Masson, assistant mission leader for the Yukon team, participated in her first Canada Games in 1987. With or without medals, in his eyes, the games contribute to the very development of all regions of the country. If sport can bring good leaders, great talents to the Yukon, it’s good for our territoryshe believes.

And understanding that our country is tall and having friends everywhere is the purpose of sport too. It’s not fair to win competitions.