There will be no business like the snow business in Whitehorse this winter.
The Whitehorse 2026 Arctic Winter Games will take place March 8-15 in Whitehorse.
According to a news release, the games will see thousands of athletes, coaches, mission staff, cultural contingents, and supporters snowball into Whitehorse from seven other circumpolar jurisdictions, including four Canadian regions, Alaska, Greenland, and Scandinavia.
The event will bring together around 2,000 participants from arctic regions to compete in a diverse mix of traditional and non-traditional sports and events.
Supported by more than 2,000 volunteers, the games aim to foster community spirit, celebrate the cultural heritage and athletic achievements of participants from the Yukon, Alaska, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik, Greenland, Northern Alberta, and the Indigenous people (Sami) of Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
“This marks an important step in our planning process,” said Megan Cromarty, general manager of the 2026 Host Society. “We are working on a shorter timeline to make these games happen and our community and government partners have been crucial to getting these details confirmed.”
The City of Whitehorse was awarded the 2026 games in January. The games were initially planned to be held in Yamal, Russia for the first time, but following the Russian invasion of Ukraine the Arctic Winter Games International Committee made the decision to suspend the Yamal contingent from participating in or hosting the games.
Whitehorse was set to host the games in 2020 before the COVID-19 global pandemic forced the cancellation of the competition.
“Whitehorse has all of the experience, knowledge, and skill to plan an outstanding event,” said Tracey Bilsky, host society president. “We’re able to capitalize on preparations made for 2020 to kickstart our planning for 2026, and more importantly, we’re looking forward to re-engaging our community in the excitement and anticipation for the games that was deflated by COVID.”
The cost of hosting the Arctics in 2026 has been estimated at about $9.55 million.
