Canada Games

Canada Games
Running competitions during the 2001 Canada Games in London, Ontario
Status	active
Genre	sports event
Frequency	biannual
Location(s)	various
Country	Canada
Inaugurated	1967 (1967) (winter) 1969 (1969) (summer)
Organised by	Canada Games Council

The Canada Games (French: Jeux du Canada) 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 in Quebec City as part of Canada's Centennial celebrations. For the first time in Canada's history, 1,800 athletes from 10 provinces and two territories gathered to compete in 15 sports. Under the Games motto "Unity through Sport", these first Canada Winter Games paved the way to what is now Canada's largest multi-sport competition for young athletes.

The governing body for the Canada Games is the Canada Games Council, a non-profit private organization incorporated in 1991. The individual games are run by the local host society, a non-profit private organization created for the purpose, in accordance with an agreement between the local host society, the government of Canada, the government of the province or territory, the government of the municipality, and the Canada Games Council. For example, the 2011 Halifax games were run by the Halifax 2011 Canada Games Host Society on the basis of an agreement between the host society and the Canada Games Council, Canada, Nova Scotia, and the city of Halifax. In 2015, for the first time, there was also a local host First Nation, Lheidli T'enneh. Funding for the games comes from the several levels of government together with donations and corporate sponsorships. A considerable portion of the work during the games is performed by local volunteers.

Held every two years, alternating between summer and winter, the Canada Games are a key event in the development of Canada's young athletes. As the best in their age group, these young competitors come to the Games having trained long and hard to be among those chosen to represent their respective province or territory and compete for the Canada Games Flag and Centennial Cup. With the Canada Games poised as a key step in the development of Canada's future stars, Canada Games athletes are Canada's next generation national, international and Olympic champions.