The biggest Canada Games in history touch down in Newfoundland this August.
For the first time in nearly five decades, the Canada Summer Games are coming to Newfoundland and Labrador. The province first played host to the games in 1977 in St. John’s, with Corner Brook hosting the winter games 22 years later in 1999. Overall, it has been 26 years since the historic national sporting event touched down in Canada’s easternmost province.
Under the saltwater spray and summer sun, St. John’s and surrounding municipalities will host the Canada Summer Games from August 8-25, featuring some 5,000 athletes and coaches in over 19 sports from all 13 provinces and territories, with a projected economic benefit exceeding $100 million. A massive way to celebrate the Year of Sport in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Sitting with Karen Sherriffs, CEO of the Board of Directors for the 2025 Canada Games Host Society, it’s immediately apparent that it takes a village to build one of the country’s largest sporting events.
“We moved in here with five staff, and now we’re over 75 staff and 400 planning volunteers actively involved. So you really go from zero to 100 in no time,” Karen explains from their head- quarters off Waterfordbridge Road, outlining the journey from bid to build. “We have 40 different functional areas, everything from food, marketing, brand, merchandise, ticketing, transportation, where we’re going to have them all sleep. It’s a pretty significant journey, and you do some learning from past games, but then it is also very unique to the province or territory that the games are being hosted in, that you bring your own flair and culture and flavour to what 2025 will be.”
From the branding, which juxtaposes athletes and activities with elements of traditional and contemporary Newfoundland and Labrador culture, to a specially designed logo mirroring the island’s jagged coastline, to 2025’s official mascot Gusty, Newfoundland’s unique flavour is em- bedded in every major facet of the games.
“2025 will be my 10th Canada Games, so I’ve seen it in various communities and municipalities across our country, provinces and territories. And I think one of the biggest things that stands out to me is we have definitely the smallest footprint of the games that I’ve ever been to. So it will create this buzz here,” Karen shares, adding that, aside from St. John’s, the Games have partnered with Mount Pearl, Paradise, Conception Bay South, Logy Bay, Middle Cove, and Outer Cove for events. “I think you’re really going to feel that the games are here, and I know it’s going to be so exciting. I’ve seen it firsthand in past games, and to have it here with our culture, our culinary, our music, our art scene, the scenery, the trails, I just think people are going to arrive here and never want to leave.You’re going to get that feel.
“We have an artistic festival program that will go on for two weeks of the games. We will have an opening ceremony that will set the stage for the start of the games and give the big hurrah that those athletes have trained for for so long. The elements that go into the opening and closing ceremonies that touch on our culture, but also we are hosting the country, and it is the Canada Games, and how that is interspersed, from a Canadian feel as well. I think this is great timing to host the Canada Games.”
An already busy summer tourist season on the Avalon will be thrust into hyperdrive when the biggest ever Canada Games on record touch down on the island. Boasting the highest amount of coaches, trainers and ath- letes as well as some 5,000 volunteers and counting (not to mention the sea of expected spectators), the 2025 Games is an entity unto itself.
“We have 19 sports that will happen over the 18 days of the games. They’re split between week one and week two, which is an interesting concept in that week one leaves, and then the same 24-hour clock, week two crowd comes in. We turn everything over in a 24-hour period,” Karen says, joking that there will be some 2,600 beds to make on turnaround day.
And while the games themselves are a key draw from a fan standpoint, the millions of dollars in arena upgrades and project venues are a massive sell- ing point for host regions.
“We are driven by the fact that we look at what impact and legacy it has on the community. So our decision- making really gets made around that piece of it. What do we leave behind in the community? You know, you look at the Aquarena, built for the 1977 games, now getting a whole new re-vamp. It’s another great legacy that will hopefully serve the community for another 30, 40 years, as the Aquarena has done,” Karen says, adding “We have 25 capital projects valued at 80 million dollars, and so every single venue being used for the games is either new or has significant improvements done to be able to welcome the country here, but then also for our community to benefit from well after the games, which is really great.”
As for the games themselves, the festivities truly have something for every sporting fan. From baseball to basket- ball, to emerging events like canoe kayak, to golf, cycling, diving, wrestling and lacrosse, the Games are chinched with high-energy excitement with the nation’s finest vying for gold and glory.
“I always tell people, go and see all the sports. Check out sports that you don’t traditionally see here. Canoe kayak is a new sport. Quidi Vidi Lake is going to be just amazing to see this course in action.The double ice rink inParadise will turn into two turf rinks for box lacrosse. It’s just an energetic, fun sport to watch. Beach volleyball is a complete vibe, music is going. Go out and really take in the experience of a multi-sport event. We host lots of nationals and one-off different sporting events, and we’re really renowned for doing that, but to see a multi-sport event in action is pretty special,” Karen shares.
“The last time it was here was 1977, and the West Coast for the winter games in 1999. So it only comes around every so often. Get out there and enjoy it.”
For more information on the Canada Games, including how to volunteer, a complete schedule of events, the torch relay, opening and closing ceremonies and much more, visit 2025canadagames.ca or download the official app.
