2025 Canada Games
In North America’s most easterly city, a celebration of sport, culture and community took shape.
From August 8–25, 2025, the Canada Games returned to St. John’s, NL, for the first time since 1977. With more than 5,000 athletes, coaches and managers participating, the 2025 Canada Games were the largest in the event’s history, featuring 19 sports and 12 discipline areas.
For over half a century, the Canada Games has been the premier multi-sport event for the country’s top amateur athletes, bringing together competitors from every province and territory. Held every two years and alternating between the summer and winter seasons, the Games highlight athletic excellence while celebrating community pride and national unity.
But the Canada Games are much more than a sporting event. They serve as a launchpad for future Olympians, a stage for diversity and inclusion and a powerful engine for social and economic growth for the communities that host this prestigious event.
New sports, new milestones
At the 2025 Canada Games, several exciting additions marked historic firsts and reflected the continued evolution of Canadian sport.
Female baseball was featured for the first time, representing a significant step forward for gender equity in this competition area. Artistic swimming, a long-standing part of the Winter Games since 1967, made its Summer Games debut in St. John’s. That year’s event also marked the inception of canoe kayak racing in Newfoundland and Labrador. In another milestone for inclusivity, Para Sailing made its debut, further expanding the Games’ commitment to accessible sport.
True to the spirit of the Games, para-athletes, Special Olympians and able-bodied athletes competed together in an integrated environment. Events in athletics, cycling and swimming included both Paralympic and Special Olympic categories. Lacrosse also returned as a competition area following its 2022 reintroduction.
These additions at the Games not only celebrated diversity in sport but also demonstrated a national commitment to equity, accessibility and progress on and off the playing field.
Economic boost and long-term impact
The 2025 Canada Games generated an economic impact of more than $120 million, creating opportunities across sectors including construction, tourism, media, retail, transportation and food services. More than 1,000 government officials, industry partners and stakeholders were in attendance, giving St. John’s and surrounding communities unprecedented national visibility.
This momentum supported ACOA’s broader goals of positioning Atlantic Canada as a hub for investment, innovation and tourism. In November 2024, ACOA announced a non-repayable investment of $1,299,750 to the 2025 Canada Games Host Society to assist with marketing, hosting and accessibility costs.
“This generous support from the Government of Canada made a meaningful difference in delivering a memorable 2025 Canada Games experience that resonated across Newfoundland and Labrador and all of Canada,” said 2025 Canada Games Society Co-Chairs Kim Keating and Karl Smith. “We were thrilled to see these investments in sport, accessibility and inclusion, which left a lasting legacy for our communities and inspired young athletes for generations to come.”
The Canada Games bring together Canada’s top young athletes, celebrating their remarkable talents while fostering a spirit of unity across all provinces and territories. Beyond competition, the Games create lasting connections grounded in friendship and a shared passion for amateur sport, serving as a platform that highlights not only athletic excellence but also community and national pride.
For more information on programs and services available to businesses and community organizations in Atlantic Canada, call 1-800-561-7862 or visit canada.ca/acoa.
To learn more about the Canada Games, please visit: https://www.canadagames.ca/