2007 Canada Winter Games


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. The games were held concurrent with the Inuit Games and Dene Games. The Games were televised by CBC, SRC, TSN, RDS, and APTN.

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, Nunavut, located on the north coast of Ellesmere Island - the "most northern permanently inhabited settlement in the world" where it was joined by the three , 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 22 February 2007, the three 2007 Canada Winter Games Pan Northern Torches reunited in Whitehorse, Yukon and on 23 February 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 lifelong 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 and the later has a wrapped leather handle. Both share a similar flared top with a receptacle for a solid fuel source.

The Three 2007 Canada Winter Games Pan Northern Torches

The three 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 Wilson. 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 River 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. The premiers of Yukon, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Prime Minister Stephen Harper officially opened the games.

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 Island, host province of the 2009 Canada Games.

Sports Contested & Venues

Medal standings

No province or territory was denied a medal in the final standings, an unprecedented occurrence for the Canada Games.

Wiki Links