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 | 2012 Arctic Winter Games held in Whitehorse, Yukon |
| 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.
Background
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 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
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, USA
Greenland
Northern Alberta, Canada
Northwest Territories, Canada (Host Contingent)
Nunavik, Quebec, Canada
Nunavut, Canada
Sami people
Yamalo-Nenets, Russia
Yukon, Canada
Host cities
Hodgson Trophy
The Hodgson trophy for fair play and team spirit is awarded at the end of every games. The past winners of the trophy are:[3]
| 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 |
Arctic Winter Games International Committee
- 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
- 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
↑Jump back a sectionReferences
- ^ 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.
- ^ http://www.arcticwintergames.org/Hodgson_Trophy.html The Hodgson Trophy
External links
- 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
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