- French:
- Jeux du Canada
- Related Topics:
- Canada
- public games and contests
Canada Games
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What are the Canada Games?
The Canada Games are a national sporting event held every two years in Canada, with both the Winter and Summer Games occurring at four-year intervals.
The concept was initially proposed in 1924 but only gained traction in 1965 when a financial agreement was signed, leading to the first Canada Winter Games. The Games aim to develop sports facilities, train young athletes to international standards, encourage competition among provinces and territories, and cultivate human resources within the Games' organizing groups. The Centennial Cup is awarded to the province or territory that shows the greatest improvement from one Games to the next.
To be eligible for the Canada Games, athletes must be between 12 and 18 years old at the time of the competition, excel in provincial qualifying tournaments, and be a member of the national team.
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How often are the Canada Games held?
The Canada Games are a national multi-sport event held every two years in Canada, with the Winter and Summer Games alternating at four-year intervals. The Games were first suggested in 1924 but did not gain support until 1965, when a financial agreement was signed, leading to the first Canada Winter Games.
The Games aim to develop sports facilities, train young athletes to international standards, encourage competition among provinces and territories, and develop human resources. Athletes must be 12–18 years old during the competition, excel in provincial qualifying tournaments, and be national team members. The Centennial Cup is awarded to the province or territory that shows the greatest improvement from one Games to the next.
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Who is allowed to compete in the Canada Games?
To be chosen to compete in the Canada Games, athletes have to meet specific criteria. They must be 12–18 years old at the time of the competition, achieve high placements in provincial qualifying tournaments, and be a member of the national team. The Canada Games occur every two years, alternating between Winter and Summer Games every four years. The Games aim to develop sports facilities, train young athletes to international standards, encourage competition, and develop human resources within sports organizations.
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What kinds of sports are included in the Canada Games?
The Canada Games are a national sporting event held every two years in Canada, alternating between Winter and Summer Games.
The sports in the Winter Games include alpine skiing, archery, artistic gymnastics, badminton, biathlon, boxing, cross-country skiing, curling, fencing, figure skating, freestyle skiing, hockey, judo, ringette, shooting, speed skating, squash, synchronized swimming, tennis, and wheelchair basketball.
Summer Games athletes can participate in track and field, baseball, basketball, canoeing/kayaking, cycling, diving, field hockey, rowing, rugby/football, sailing, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, volleyball, and wrestling.
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How are the Summer and Winter Canada Games different?
The Canada Games are a national multi-sport event held every two years, alternating between the Summer and Winter Games. The Summer Games sports include track and field, baseball, basketball, and canoeing/kayaking. The Winter Games offer sports such as alpine skiing, archery, artistic gymnastics, badminton, and biathlon. Both encourage the development of sports facilities and train young athletes.
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How do the Canada Games help athletes prepare for international competitions?
The Canada Games play a crucial role in preparing young athletes for international competitions by offering a platform to train to international standards, encouraging competition, and developing human resources. To be selected, athletes aged 12–18 must excel in provincial qualifying tournaments.
Many of Canada’s most successful athletes, such as Sidney Crosby and Catriona Le May Doan, have participated in the Canada Games. The Games aim to foster the development of top-tier sports facilities and provide a competitive environment for athletes from all provinces and territories.
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Canada Games, national sporting event held every two years in Canada, both the Winter and Summer Games being held at four-year intervals.
History
The idea of the Canada Games was first suggested in 1924 by Norton Crow, secretary of the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada, but received little support. The idea often resurfaced in the next 25 years but each time met with lukewarm response. In 1962, the chairman of the National Advisory Council on Fitness and Amateur Sports once again suggested a sports festival. A Québec lawyer, André Marceau, took the initiative and, along with other sports authorities in Québec, set up a corporation of the top Canadian winter sports. On 30 May 1965, a financial agreement was signed and the first Canada Winter Games finally came into being.
In 1964, the Canadian Centennial Commission recommended that winter games be held in 1967, and the federal government endorsed the idea. Since then, summer and winter games have been held every four years. Their objectives are to encourage the development of first-rate sports facilities, to train as many young athletes as possible to international standards, to encourage competition in the provinces and territories, and to develop human resources from judges on up to director general of the Games’ organizing groups. At the end of a Canada Games, the Centennial Cup is awarded to the province or territory that makes the greatest improvement from one Games to another.
Summer Games
Sports available to Summer Games athletes include track and field, baseball, basketball, canoeing/kayaking, cycling, diving, field hockey, rowing, rugby/football, sailing, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, volleyball, and wrestling.
Between 1969 and 2013, the Summer Games were hosted by Halifax/Dartmouth, NS (1969); Burnaby, BC (1973); St John’s, NL (1977); Thunder Bay, ON (1981); Saint John, NB (1985); Saskatoon, SK (1989); Kamloops, BC (1993); Brandon, MB (1997); London, ON (2001); Regina, SK (2005); Summerside, PEI (2009); and Sherbrooke, QC (2013).
Winter Games
Various sports, both winter and indoor, are available to Winter Games athletes. These include alpine skiing, archery, artistic gymnastics, badminton, biathlon, boxing, cross-country skiing, curling, fencing, figure skating, freestyle skiing, hockey, judo, ringette, shooting, speed skating, squash, synchronized swimming, tennis, and wheelchair basketball.
Between 1967 and 2015, the Winter Games were hosted by Québec City, QC (1967); Saskatoon, SK (1971); Lethbridge, AB (1975); Brandon, MB (1979); Saguenay, QC (1983); Cape Breton County, NS (1987); Charlottetown, PEI (1991); Grande Prairie, AB (1995); Cornerbrook, NL (1999); Bathurst/Campbellton, NB (2003); Whitehorse, Yukon (2007); Halifax, NS (2011); and Prince George, BC (2015).
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Athletes
To be chosen to compete in the Canada Games, athletes must fulfil specific selection criteria: they must be 12–18 years at the time of competition, placed well in the required provincial qualifying tournaments, and be a member of the national team.
The Canada Games have played an important role in the development of some of Canada’s most successful athletes, including Toller Cranston, Bob Gainey, Sylvie Daigle, Catriona LeMay Doan, Bruny Surin, Annie Pelletier, Hayley Wickenheiser, Marc Gagnon, Steve Nash, Alexandre Despatie, Adam Van Koeverden, Sidney Crosby, Charles Hamelin, Marianne St-Gelais, Steven Stamkos, Mark McMorris, Anthony Bennett, and Nathan Mackinnon.
An earlier version of this entry was published by The Canadian Encyclopedia .