Arctic Winter Games
Arctic Winter Games Logo
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| First event | 1970 in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada |
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| Occur every | two years |
| Last event | 2014 Arctic Winter Games held in Fairbanks, Alaska |
| Purpose | Sports for the Arctic |
| President | Gerry Thick |
| Website | ArcticWinterGames.org |
The Arctic Winter Games is an international biennial celebration of circumpolar sports and culture.
Contents
Background[edit]
The Arctic Winter Games were founded in 1969 under the leadership of Governor Walter J. Hickel of Alaska, Stuart M. Hodgson, Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, and Yukon Commissioner James Smith. The idea to "provide a forum where athletes from the circumpolar North could compete on their own terms, on their own turf" came from Cal Miller, an advisor with the Yukon team at the 1967 Canada Winter Games.
In 1970 in Yellowknife, Canada, 500 athletes, trainers and officials came together for the first Arctic Winter Games. The participants came from the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Alaska. Since then, the Games have been held on fifteen occasions in different places and with ever more participants from more and more places within the Arctic region. The games in 2002 were the first jointly hosted Arctic Winter Games, by Nuuk, Greenland and Iqaluit, Nunavut.
Participants[edit]
A total of nine contingents participated in the Arctic Winter Games. The same group of teams also made up the participants of the previous games [1]
- Alaska, United States
- Greenland
- Northern Alberta, Canada
- Northwest Territories, Canada
- Nunavik, Quebec, Canada
- Nunavut, Canada
- Sami people, Sápmi (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Kola Peninsula of Russia)
- Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia
- Yukon, Canada
Host cities[edit]
Host cities have mostly been in Canada and the United States.
| Year | Host |
|---|---|
| 1970 | Yellowknife, Northwest Territories |
| 1972 | Whitehorse, Yukon |
| 1974 | Anchorage, Alaska |
| 1976 | Schefferville, Quebec |
| 1978 | Hay River/Pine Point, Northwest Territories |
| 1980 | Whitehorse, Yukon |
| 1982 | Fairbanks, Alaska |
| 1984 | Yellowknife, Northwest Territories |
| 1986 | Whitehorse, Yukon |
| 1988 | Fairbanks, Alaska |
| 1990 | Yellowknife, Northwest Territories |
| 1992 | Whitehorse, Yukon |
| 1994 | Slave Lake, Alberta |
| 1996 | Chugiak/Eagle River, (Anchorage), Alaska |
| 1998 | Yellowknife, Northwest Territories |
| 2000 | Whitehorse, Yukon |
| 2002 | Nuuk, Greenland/Iqaluit, Nunavut |
| 2004 | Wood Buffalo, Alberta |
| 2006 | Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska |
| 2008 | Yellowknife, Northwest Territories |
| 2010 | Grande Prairie, Alberta |
| 2012 | Whitehorse, Yukon |
| 2014 | Fairbanks, Alaska |
| 2016 | Nuuk, Greenland[2] |
| 2018 | Hay River/Fort Smith, Northwest Territories[3] |
Hodgson Trophy[edit]
The Hodgson trophy for fair play and team spirit is awarded at the end of every games. The trophy is named for Stuart Milton Hodgson, former Commissioner of the Northwest Territories.[4]
The past winners of the trophy are:[4]
| Winner | Year |
|---|---|
| Alaska | 1978 |
| Yukon | 1980-1988 |
| Alaska | 1990 |
| NWT | 1992 |
| Greenland | 1994 |
| NWT | 1996 |
| Yukon | 1998 |
| Nunavut | 2000 |
| Greenland | 2002 |
| Nunavut | 2004 |
| Alaska | 2006 |
| Nunavut | 2008 |
| Alaska | 2010 |
| Nunavut | 2012 |
| Greenland | 2014 |
Arctic Winter Games International Committee[edit]
- Gerry Thick, President
- Wendell Shiffler, Vice President
- Lloyd Bentz, Secretary
- Ian Legaree Technical Director
- Jens Brinch
- Sharon Clarkson
- Marilyn Neily
- John Rodda
- Don Sian
- Karen Thomson
Arctic Winter Games alumni[edit]
- The Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean, presented Aisa Pirti, a 19-year-old Inuk from Akulivik, Nunavik, with the National Aboriginal Role Model Award during a ceremony at Rideau Hall. Aisa has received 30 medals and five trophies for Inuit games in regional and circumpolar competitions, such as the Arctic Winter Games and the Eastern Arctic Summer Games.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Arctic Winter Games International Committee (2006). "Medal standings". Archived from the original on 2 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
- ^ "Arctic Winter Games 2016 – Grønland". Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq (in Danish). 3 March 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
- ^ "Hay River, Fort Smith to jointly host 2018 Arctic Winter Games". CBC. 18 March 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
- ^ a b The Hodgson Trophy
External links[edit]
- Arctic Winter Games Official Website
- CBC Digital Archives – Arctic Winter Games
- 2002 Arctic Winter Games[dead link]
- 1970 The First Arctic Winter Games, NWT Historical Timeline- A Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre Online Exhibit[dead link]
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