The GNWT is considering whether to submit an official bid for the 2035 Winter Games, currently estimated to require an investment of over $30 million. Some factors being considered are whether the building of an athlete’s village could potentially be repurposed into affordable housing.
Alison Brown, Director of Sport, Recreation and Youth at MACA, says the GNWT is still considering whether to apply for the 2035 Canada Winter Games and that at the moment, the potential application is in the planning stages.
Brown confirms the GNWT is starting Phase 1 engagement with key partners, including NWT community governments, NWT Indigenous governments, Sport North Federation, Indigenous Sports Circle of the Northwest Territories, and the Canada Games Council.
The GNWT is currently conducting feasibility studies and a preliminary budget.
“We are working with the Canada Games Council to re-evaluate what our current facility inventory is and how that lines up with what they would expect for hosting these types of games,” said Brown.
Brown explained that it is possible that the N.W.T. could join with other jurisdictions to host the games.
“They’ll look at what what we can currently host, what is the potential for building or finding other infrastructure, including looking at the different hosting models, which could include other areas within the N.W.T. or partnerships even outside the jurisdiction. It’s too early to say what that model would look like. Because we haven’t even got to that part of the investigation yet.”
If the application is made and the bid is won, the federal govt could potentially provide about $16 million which could be used to help build reusable infrastructure like the athlete’s village.
“We know that there is a lack of a dedicated facility that could be like an athlete’s village, which could create infrastructure that could be repurposed for housing or low income situations,” said Brown.
Games typically include over 3,600 participants, including athletes with disabilities who would require barrier free accommodations.
“We are considered one of the smaller jurisdictions. My understanding is federal contributions could be upwards of $16 million depending on what the actual budget and costs come out to be,” said Brown.
According to an announcement issued earlier this week, the GNWT submitted an Expression of Interest in 2022 and the Canada Games Council is asking that the territory confirm their application by Spring 2026.
“A formal bid would need to be submitted by 2027. Before making that commitment, the GNWT is conducting a comprehensive feasibility study to assess whether hosting the Canada Winter Games is realistic and beneficial for the Northwest Territories (NWT),” said officials.
Brown confirms that hosting the Canada Winter Games would require an initial investment of over $30 million according to current estimates.
“Canada Games provides a framework and they estimate costs for operation and capital to be near $32 million. More work will be have to be done to see exactly how that looks each individual games events..”
Officials also reported that activity from the games could help offset the costs and create economic opportunity
“There is also an opportunity for a federal contributions to offset some of these costs. At the same time, the potential benefits for the NWT are substantial The 2023 Canada Winter Games in Prince Edward Island generated more than $211 million in economic activity, created jobs, boosted tourism, and supported local businesses.”
Brown says the engagement process and review will look at infrastructure requirements, volunteer capacity and budget considerations to assess if the territory has the potential resources to host the Games. The discussions will help lead to a decision on whether to move forward with a formal bid.
“Additional engagement will take place pending discussions with phase one stakeholders. Fiscal sustainability and responsible use of public funds will be central to this analysis, ensuring that any investment delivers long-term benefits for residents and communities.The GNWT will continue to share updates on this exploratory work. A formal bid will only proceed if community governments and partners support the initiative,” said officials.
Municipal and Community Affairs Minister Vince McKay said that an open process is being used to come to a decision that balances the views of various stakeholders across the N.W.T.
“Hosting the Canada Winter Games could be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase northern excellence, inspire youth, and generate lasting economic and infrastructure gains. We are dedicated to a transparent process that ensures any decision reflects the interests of residents, communities, and Indigenous partners. The GNWT is committed to ensuring that this process is inclusive and aligns with northern values, including strong partnerships with Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations to promote reconciliation,” said Minister McKay.
Brown said that they are open to “all feedback” and are listening as part of the consultation with the stakeholders.
“We’re at the exploratory stage of this. The possibility of us hosting the Canada Games will promote sport, tourism and community development,” emphasized Brown.
“No decision has been made to submit a formal bed bid yet. Hosting the Games is going to be more about more than just sport competition. It’s about building stronger communities and creating lasting benefits that’ll support the N.W.T. in the future. And we’re hoping this becomes an opportunity to showcase the N.W.T., increase capacity and support.
Peter Tah, with GNWT’s Municipal and Community Affairs, said members of the public can submit their questions and feedback via email to sport_and_recreation@gov.nt.ca
Note: This story was updated from a previous version that incorrectly indicated that the N.W.T. was submitting a bid for the Olympic Winter Games
