{"id":58427,"date":"2025-08-10T04:59:27","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T04:59:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/58427\/"},"modified":"2025-08-10T04:59:27","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T04:59:27","slug":"team-nt-at-the-2025-canada-games-opening-ceremony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/58427\/","title":{"rendered":"Team NT at the 2025 Canada Games opening ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NWT\u2019s athletes joined thousands from across the country at the 2025 Canada Games opening ceremony in St John\u2019s, Newfoundland and Labrador, on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n

Led by swimmer Tony Shi carrying the territory\u2019s flag, just under 100 athletes, coaches and other team members representing the NWT marched into the Mary Brown\u2019s Centre as the Games began.<\/p>\n

\"NWTNWT minister responsible for sport, Vince McKay (right), hands the NWT\u2019s flag to Tony Shi at the 2025 Canada Games opening ceremony. Ollie Williams\/Team NT<\/p>\n

\"AthletesTony Shi leads the team. Ollie Williams\/Team NT<\/p>\n

\"\"Chris Mathison had a hand in lighting the torch. Ollie Williams\/Team NT<\/p>\n

The remainder of the team \u2013 around 180 athletes and coaching staff in all \u2013 will arrive in week two. The Games run until the end of August 24.<\/p>\n

Many events throughout the two weeks are being live-streamed by organizers<\/a>. You can see photos and updates on Team NT\u2019s Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>, with regular reports on cabinradio.ca alongside broadcasts on Cabin Radio from St John\u2019s 10am-12pm each weekday.<\/p>\n

Shi wasn\u2019t the only NWT athlete in the spotlight. Four-time cross-country skiing Olympian Sharon Firth helped escort the Canada Games flag into the arena, a day after being inducted into the Canada Games Hall of Honour<\/a> alongside her late sister Shirley Firth Larsson. Sharon competed three times at this level.<\/p>\n

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Beach volleyball player Chris Mathison also had a role in Saturday\u2019s opening ceremony, helping the Canada Games torch relay in its final moments as the outdoor cauldron was lit.<\/p>\n

More: Yellowknife hosts its first open beach volleyball tourney<\/a>
From Team NT: More opening ceremony photos<\/a><\/p>\n

In total, the 2025 Canada Games expects to welcome more than 5,000 athletes across 19 sports.<\/p>\n

Team NT is competing in basketball, beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field and wrestling.<\/p>\n

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All photos on this page: Ollie Williams\/Team NT<\/p>\n

\"Athletes<\/p>\n

\"NWT<\/p>\n

\"Team<\/p>\n

Saturday\u2019s ceremony leaned heavily and gleefully into Newfoundland tropes, the hosts\u2019 team marching out to Great Big Sea\u2019s Ordinary Day. On the media benches, a reporter could be seen using an online thesaurus to find alternatives to \u201cfolksy\u201d \u2013 but that was the perfect word.<\/p>\n

Attendees were treated to The Ryans and the Pittmans, a folk singalong opportunity, as well as a slice of Come From Away, the musical that relates how Gander residents cared for stranded travellers in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. <\/p>\n

The ceremony also incorporated multiple throat-singing performances, a choir, and the national anthem performed by the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Band.<\/p>\n

\"Athletes<\/p>\n

\"Athletes<\/p>\n

\"Athletes<\/p>\n

\"Athletes<\/p>\n

The NWT\u2019s athletes were third out of the tunnel into the arena behind Yukon and British Columbia, using a system that swept across Canada from west to east.<\/p>\n

Danny Breen, the mayor of St John\u2019s, told the athletes: \u201cWe\u2019re incredibly proud to host you here in one of the most vibrant and welcoming cities in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Newfoundland and Labrador is dealing with wildfires as the Games begin. Evacuations have been ordered in some communities just to the west of St John\u2019s, though organizers say there is so far no direct impact on the sports.<\/p>\n

Premier John Hogan, addressing the Mary Brown\u2019s Centre crowd, drew a connection between the efforts of those fighting wildfires and the dedication of the thousands of volunteers who are making the Games happen. <\/p>\n

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Thank you, he told those involved, \u201cfor giving us something to smile about, something to cheer about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Athletes<\/p>\n

\"Coaches<\/p>\n

\"NWT<\/p>\n

Among the other territories, Nunavut is sending its biggest-ever team to the Canada Games, including \u2013 for the first time<\/a> \u2013 both male and female basketball teams.<\/p>\n

The NWT\u2019s team is roughly twice the size it was for the Niagara Games in 2022, also helped by the qualification of extra places in team sports this time around.<\/p>\n

\"NunavutTeam Nunavut. Ollie Williams\/Team NT<\/p>\n

\"YukonTeam Yukon. Ollie Williams\/Team NT<\/p>\n

Shi said he will try his hardest to reach the podium as the sporting action begins on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to do some amazing personal bests. We\u2019re going to try our best to get a medal for our team,\u201d Shi said, identifying the 200m individual medley and some of the relays as targets.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be very hard, but that\u2019s our goal,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ll be trying our best for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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