The Arctic Winter Games, which ordinarily takes place every two years, will abandon that practice and move to three-year gaps between editions.
The change could be temporary. In a Friday evening news release, the international committee that oversees the Games said the shift would be in place until at least 2032.
Instead of Games in 2026, 2028, 2030 and 2032, the new schedule will see Games being held in 2026, 2029 and 2032. After that, what happens isn’t clear.
A host jurisdiction for 2029 has yet to be identified. The NWT was initially expected to host the 2028 Games but formally declined to do so last year.
The Arctic Winter Games involves mostly young people from circumpolar nations in a range of sports, including Dene and Inuit events.
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Moving to a Games every three years “aims to support the long-term sustainability of the Games and to maintain the quality and integrity of the athlete and cultural experience,” the Arctic Winter Games International Committee stated.
“This is a practical and forward-looking decision that reflects the scope of the Arctic Winter Games and the capacity needed to deliver them effectively,” committee president John Rodda was quoted as saying.
“A three-year cycle through 2032 provides additional time for sustainable, efficient preparation and operational readiness.
“Looking beyond 2032, AWGIC will continue assessing scheduling within the context of the long-term viability of the Games and the wider multisport calendar.”
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From 2024: The future of the Arctic Winter Games
The Games are under pressure on multiple fronts.
Governments are finding cash ever harder to come by, while event costs keep increasing. Meanwhile, shifts in climate are reducing the number of host venues capable of holding some outdoor sports and making conditions unpredictable, jeopardizing the Games’ ability to run smoothly.
Organizers have spent years discussing whether to move from a two-year cycle to a three-year one. (Many large multisport events operate only every four years.) Changes in the number of sports on the schedule have also been contemplated.
‘High-level review’ under way
Just under 100 days remain before the 2026 edition of the Games in Whitehorse.
Budget cuts have trimmed back the size of the NWT team that will travel to that event, an example of the wider financial constraints that have at least partly driven Friday’s decision.
The international committee said a “high-level review of the Arctic Winter Games’ core operational elements” is also taking place.
That review will assess the number of people who should take part in each edition of the Games, the sports that should be involved, the host’s responsibilities and “potential contingent additions” – extra teams who could bring in more financial support.
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“This initiative aims to ensure the Games remain strong, manageable for future hosts, and meaningful for all participating jurisdictions and the youth they serve,” the committee stated.
So far, the only interruption in the Arctic Winter Games’ two-year cycle since 1970 was the Covid-19 pandemic, which created a five-year gap between the 2018 edition – hosted by Fort Smith and Hay River – and a 2023 edition in Fort McMurray, itself the victim of a year-long pandemic-related delay.
The Games returned to its regular calendar with a 2024 edition in Alaska.
Despite rejecting the chance to host the Arctic Winter Games, the NWT government said this week it is more broadly investigating whether the territory can host the 2035 Canada Winter Games.
No decision has been made and the investigation is said by senior officials to be just that. The announcement was not intended to convey that the GNWT is necessarily set to move ahead, the officials said.
Hosting the Canada Winter Games is expected to cost more than $30 million but could bring substantial benefits, the GNWT said. The territory has never hosted a sporting event of that size.
