With one year to go until Whitehorse hosts the Arctic Winter Games, the host society in charge is tallying funding and building excitement.
An event marking the one-year milestone held March 6 at the Canada Games Centre was attended by Whitehorse Mayor Kirk Cameron, Yukon community services minister Richard Mostyn, Yukon MP Brendan Hanley and Yukon Lottery Commission chair Sara Skelton along with Arctic Winter Games Host Society representatives.
Quoted in a March 6 press release from the host society, Cameron noted that this will be the seventh time Whitehorse has hosted the games. The event held every other year will bring together athletes from Canada’s territories, Alaska, Northern Alberta and Quebec, Greenland and Indigenous Sami communities of Norway, Sweden and Finland. Residents of the Yamal region of Russia once participated and it had been scheduled as the 2026 host community prior to its suspension by the international committee that oversees the games following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Whitehorse had been set to host the games in 2020 prior to their cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic and stepped up to host in 2026 after Yamal was barred.
“Over the next 12 months the City of Whitehorse will be working closely with the Arctic Winter Games Host Society and other partners to get venues and facilities ready for the games. We encourage residents to get involved and volunteer in the coming months as we prepare to showcase our city,” Cameron said.
Mostyn called the territorial government’s support of the games “an investment in developing future community leaders,” and also spoke favourably about the opportunities it creates for showcasing athletic skill, exchanging culture and boosting local business.
“In just over a year, Whitehorse will host the transformative power of sport in action. More than 2,000 participants from across the Arctic will be competing in the 21 sports featured. Thank you to every single person who made this possible. The Arctic Winter Games celebrate Arctic sport, culture, talent, and I can't wait for the excitement to begin,” Hanley said.
Funding announced to support the games so far has been: In-kind or financial support from Whitehorse totaling $750,000 and $4.4 million from the territorial government. The federal government is putting up $2.6 million and additional funds for sport equipment are coming via the Yukon Lottery Commission.
“The Arctic Winter Games are an incredible opportunity for making a lasting impact on our community," said host society president Tracey Bilsky, quoted in the release.
“The support of our major funders means that these Games can leave a legacy on sport, culture, and our community that extends beyond the field of competition.”
The games in Whitehorse will be held March 8-15, 2026.
A public event marking one year to their opening is scheduled for March 8 at the Canada Games Centre. According to organizers it will feature family-friendly activities and a free public swim in the games centre pool. It will also be used as an opportunity to enrol volunteers for the games.
Contact Jim Elliot at jim.elliot@yukon-news.com
