YORKTON - Catriona Le May Doan has been elected chair to the Canada Games Council (CGC) by the organization's Board of Directors.
For Le May Doan the election is another step in her near life-long relationship with the council which is a private, non-profit organization, as the governing body for the Canada Games.
Held once every two years, alternating between winter and summer, the Canada Games represent the highest level of national competition for up and coming Canadian athletes.
“I’ve been involved in the Canada Games longer than most,” the Saskatoon-born Le May Doan told Yorkton This Week in a recent interview. “. . . I’ve seen it from every level.”
Le May Doan noted the Canada Games were her first multi-sport games, representing Saskatchewan for the first time in 1983 – some 42 years ago. She is an alum in both speed skating and athletics for Team Saskatchewan.
The early experience as a young athlete had a definite impact on her career, and she told YTW she continues to believe in the Canada Games as it helps in building sport in Canada.
“I don’t just believe in the Canada Games, I’m passionate about them,” she said.
For Le May Doan the Canada Games proved an early step on the road to international success. She won the Olympic 500-metres title at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, and then repeated the feat at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.
At the Nagano Olympics, she also won a bronze in the 1,000-metres.
She was World Sprint Champion 1998 and 2002 and World Champion 500-metres in 1998, 1999, and 2001.
Le May Doan was Canada's flag bearer at the Winter Olympics in both the 1998 Nagano Olympics closing ceremony and the opening ceremony of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
She also recently served as Team Canada's Chef de Mission at the Olympic Winter Games in 2022.
A longtime CGC board member, Le May Doan takes over the reins from outgoing Chair Evan Johnston, who is stepping down after 10 years on the board as he takes on the new role as President and CEO of The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company in January.
Le May Doan said there is a lot of work associated with what the Council does.
“The Canada Games are a large endeavour,” she said, adding there is work nationally, on on-site surrounding each edition of the games.
But the results are something she said Canadians should be following.
Le May Doan said she wants the eyes of more Canadians on the games and their athletes.
“People know about the games, but they don’t always ‘know’ about them” she said, explaining she wants to see people tuning in, or attending in person to fully experience just how special the Canada Games are in developing athletes and community.
“It’s high-performance sport,” she said, adding a high percentage of Canada’s Olympic athletes can trace their path to the international stage through the Canada Games – much as was her personal journey.
“They are a part of it . . . a stepping stone,” she said.
Le May Doan said she believes Canadians are primed to pay more attention to the upcoming editions of the Canada Games after a highly successful Paris Olympics “where people were really engaged,” and with focus already on the 2028 Olympics to be held in Los Angeles. “. . . We (the Canada Games) can take advantage of that.”
From there Le May Doan’s vision grows broader.
“What we need to focus on is sport,” she said. “We need sport to be a priority for every level of government.”
The focus would have widespread benefits.
“We know what sport does for our health,” she said.
The Games have been hosted in every province at least twice since their inception in Quebec City during Canada's Centennial in 1967.
The next Canada Summer Games take place Aug. 8-25, 2025 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, while the next Canada Winter Games will unfold in Quebec City from Feb. 27 to March 14, 2027, where it will be a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the games.
