2007 Canada Games
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Canada Winter Games
were held in Whitehorse, Yukon
from Friday 23 February 2007 to Saturday 10 March 2007. These were the first Canada Games held North of 60
(in the northern territories). The games were held concurrent with the Inuit Games and Dene Games. The Games were televised by CBC
, SRC, TSN
, RDS
, and APTN
.
, located on the north coast of Ellesmere Island - the "most northern permanently inhabited settlement in the world" where it was joined by the three 2007 Canada Winter Games Pan Northern Torches, each representing one of the Host Territories: Nunavut
, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories
. The Canada Games Torch lit the three Pan Northern Torches which were then taken by three northern athletes who began the Torch Relay trek for their respective Territory. Together, the Canada Winter Games pan northern torches visited over 83 communities, partook in 13 Torch Challenges spotlighting unique places in the North, and travelled by all forms of northern transportation. Through the torch relay the spirit of the 2007 Whitehorse Canada Winter Games spread to every corner of Canada's North and engaged all its people. On February 22, 2007, the three 2007 Canada Winter Games Pan Northern Torches reunited in Whitehorse, Yukon and on February 23 relit the Canada Games Torch, following which, all four torches lit the Canada Games Cauldron, signalling the ceremonial start of the 2007 Canada Winter Games.
. Caribou antler was chosen because of its unique handle-like shaft, as well as the fact that caribou are universally present in all three of Canada's Territories. The palm and tine portion of the antlers, which normally point upward in their natural state, were reversed to point downward and host the signature carvings. Each carving contains three elements: an animal significant to the respective Territory, the Canada Games Maple Leaf logo with an addition of three veins to represent the three territories who have joined together to host the Games, and an element containing 13 parts to signify the Provinces and Territories that make up Canada. The Yukon Torch features a raven overlooking 13 mountain tops of the northern boreal forest; the Northwest Territories Torch sports a polar bear clambering onto secure footing from an ice pan breaking up into 13 pieces; the Nunavut Torch displays the narwhal with tusk passing through the Canada Games Maple Leaf logo, swimming amongst 13 ocean waves. The torch tops are fashioned from stainless steel and copper and hold a solid fuel source - a 'cupcake' of wax and woodchips that has a burn time of about 1/2 hour. Following the 2007 Canada Winter Games, the three Pan Northern Torches were presented to their respective Territories for permanent display.
for the Games. The ceremonies were aired on CBC
and the First Nations Channel, broadcast in English
, French
, and Inuktituk. The national anthem
was sung twice, first in T'chone and then in the usual mixed-language English and French (starting in English, then changing language verse by verse). The premieres of Yukon
, Nunavut
and Northwest Territories
along with the Canadian Prime Minister did opening speeches.
, host province of the 2009 Canada Games
.
Demonstration sport
Inuit games and Dene games
Canada Games
The Canada Games is a high-level multi-sport event with a National Artists Program held every two years in Canada, alternating between the Canada Winter Games and the Canada Summer Games. Athletes are strictly amateur only, and represent their province or territory.The Games were first held in 1967...
were held in Whitehorse, Yukon
Whitehorse, Yukon
Whitehorse is Yukon's capital and largest city . It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1476 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas occupy both shores of the Yukon River, which originates in British Columbia and meets the Bering Sea in...
from Friday 23 February 2007 to Saturday 10 March 2007. These were the first Canada Games held North of 60
Northern Canada
Northern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut...
(in the northern territories). The games were held concurrent with the Inuit Games and Dene Games. The Games were televised by CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
, SRC, TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
, RDS
Réseau des sports
Réseau des sports , is a Canadian French language Category C specialty channel showing sports and sport-related shows. It is available in 2.5 million homes, and is owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc....
, and APTN
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network is a Canadian broadcast and cable television network. APTN airs and produces programs made by, for and about Aboriginal Peoples...
.
The 2007 Canada Winter Games Pan Northern Torch Relay
Prior to each Canada Games, a Torch Relay is conducted to herald the beginning of the competition and knit the country in common purpose. As the Olympic Torch is lit from the sun in great Olympia, the Canada Games Torch is lit from the Eternal Flame, burning upon Parliament Hill in the nation's capital. A truly staggering 100,000 km relay spanning the entire Canadian North was undertaken as a lead up to the start of the 2007 Canada Winter Games. After being lit in Ottawa, the Canada Games Torch was flown to CFB Alert, NunavutAlert, Nunavut
Alert, in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada, is the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world, from the North Pole. It takes its name from HMS Alert, which wintered east of the present station, off what is now Cape Sheridan, in 1875–1876.Alert was reported to have five permanent...
, located on the north coast of Ellesmere Island - the "most northern permanently inhabited settlement in the world" where it was joined by the three 2007 Canada Winter Games Pan Northern Torches, each representing one of the Host Territories: Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
. The Canada Games Torch lit the three Pan Northern Torches which were then taken by three northern athletes who began the Torch Relay trek for their respective Territory. Together, the Canada Winter Games pan northern torches visited over 83 communities, partook in 13 Torch Challenges spotlighting unique places in the North, and travelled by all forms of northern transportation. Through the torch relay the spirit of the 2007 Whitehorse Canada Winter Games spread to every corner of Canada's North and engaged all its people. On February 22, 2007, the three 2007 Canada Winter Games Pan Northern Torches reunited in Whitehorse, Yukon and on February 23 relit the Canada Games Torch, following which, all four torches lit the Canada Games Cauldron, signalling the ceremonial start of the 2007 Canada Winter Games.
The Roly McLenahan Torch
The Canada Games Torch was renamed the Roly McLenahan Torch in 1985, in honour of the late Roly McLenahan, who was an original member of the Canada Games Council and demonstrated a life-long commitment to youth and their participation in sport. Roly McLenahan, himself, achieved notable records in both amateur and professional sport. He became the first Director of Sport in New Brunswick in 1961, and remained in that position for 23 years. He was inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame in 1982 for his athletic prowess as a hockey player. He was instrumental in New Brunswick's support for and participation in the Games. The Roly McLenahan Torch is used to commence each Canada Games Torch Relay and must be used to ignite the official Games Flame during the Opening Ceremonies. There are two Roly McLenahan Torches: the original torch and a newer version. Both are metal, the former has a stitched leather handle (worn and somewhat loose) and the later has a wrapped leather handle (similar to that used on a bat or raquet). Both share a similar flared top with a receptical for a solid fuel source.The Three 2007 Canada Winter Games Pan Northern Torches
The three 2007 2007 Canada Winter Games Pan Northern Torches were commissioned by Touch the North, Inc. for donation to the 2007 Whitehorse Canada Winter Games Society. Each torch is unique, with a carved handle fashioned from caribou antler by artist Shane WilsonShane Wilson
Shane Wilson is a sculptor who has lived and worked in Yukon and British Columbia, Canada. His principal mediums are antler, horn, ivory, and bronze, from which he creates sculpture in his signature style, a juxtaposition of abstract organic and non-organic shapes, best seen in his moose skull...
. Caribou antler was chosen because of its unique handle-like shaft, as well as the fact that caribou are universally present in all three of Canada's Territories. The palm and tine portion of the antlers, which normally point upward in their natural state, were reversed to point downward and host the signature carvings. Each carving contains three elements: an animal significant to the respective Territory, the Canada Games Maple Leaf logo with an addition of three veins to represent the three territories who have joined together to host the Games, and an element containing 13 parts to signify the Provinces and Territories that make up Canada. The Yukon Torch features a raven overlooking 13 mountain tops of the northern boreal forest; the Northwest Territories Torch sports a polar bear clambering onto secure footing from an ice pan breaking up into 13 pieces; the Nunavut Torch displays the narwhal with tusk passing through the Canada Games Maple Leaf logo, swimming amongst 13 ocean waves. The torch tops are fashioned from stainless steel and copper and hold a solid fuel source - a 'cupcake' of wax and woodchips that has a burn time of about 1/2 hour. Following the 2007 Canada Winter Games, the three Pan Northern Torches were presented to their respective Territories for permanent display.
Opening Ceremonies
The opening ceremonies were held on Friday 23 February 2007, at ATCO Place, a temporary tent structure built adjacent to the Yukon RiverYukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
for the Games. The ceremonies were aired on CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
and the First Nations Channel, broadcast in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and Inuktituk. The national anthem
O Canada
It has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
was sung twice, first in T'chone and then in the usual mixed-language English and French (starting in English, then changing language verse by verse). The premieres of Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
, Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
and Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
along with the Canadian Prime Minister did opening speeches.
Closing Ceremonies
The closing ceremonies were conducted 10 March 2007 at ATCO Place with 3500 in attendance to watch entertainment and hear closing speeches. Jennifer Knight, a skier from the Yukon, handed a torch to Hilary Hansen, an athlete from Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, host province of the 2009 Canada Games
2009 Canada Games
The 2009 Canada Summer Games were held in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island from August 15 to 29.-Events:*Athletics*Baseball*Basketball*Canoe/Kayak*Cycling*Diving*Golf*Rowing*Rugby*Sailing*Soccer*Softball*Swimming*Tennis*Triathlon...
.
Sports Contested & Venues
- Alpine skiingAlpine skiingAlpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
- ArcheryArcheryArchery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
- Artistic gymnasticsArtistic gymnasticsArtistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting . The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique , which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite...
- BadmintonBadmintonBadminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
- BiathlonBiathlonBiathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
- BoxingBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
- Cross country skiing
- CurlingCurlingCurling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
- FencingFencingFencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
- Figure skatingFigure skatingFigure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
- Freestyle skiingFreestyle skiingFreestyle skiing is form of skiing which used to encompass two disciplines: aerials, and moguls. Except the two disciplines mentioned earlier Freestyle Skiing now consists of Skicross, Half Pipe and Slope Style...
- JudoJudois a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
- Ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
- RingetteRingetteRingette is a team sport played on an ice surface. Played primarily by females, Ringette requires the use of straight sticks to control a rubber ring; with the objective of the game being to score goals by shooting the ring into the opponent's net. It was introduced by Sam Jacks in North Bay,...
- ShootingShootingShooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman...
- Speed skatingSpeed skatingSpeed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
- SquashSquash (sport)Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
- Synchronized swimmingSynchronized swimmingSynchronized swImming is a hybrid form of swimming, dance and gymnastics, consisting of swimmers performing a synchronized routine of elaborate moves in the water, accompanied by music....
- Table tennisTable tennisTable tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
- Wheelchair basketballWheelchair basketballWheelchair basketball is basketball played by people in wheelchairs and is considered one of the major disabled sports practiced. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation is the governing body for this sport. It is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee as the sole...
Demonstration sport
- SnowboardingSnowboardingSnowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
Inuit games and Dene games
Medal standings
- Based on total medals won.
Rank Province/Territory Gold Gold medalA gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...Silver Silver medalA silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....Bronze Bronze medalA bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...Total 1 52 36 34 122 2 37 35 40 112 3 24 29 26 79 4 24 24 29 77 5 9 13 15 37 6 4 12 19 35 7 2 2 8 12 8 0 3 4 7 9 1 0 3 4 10 1 0 3 4 11 0 1 2 3 12 1 0 0 1 13 0 0 1 1