Welcome
Welcome to the official site for the 2026 Arctic Winter Games! We’re thrilled to invite you to experience the spirit, unity, and excitement of this incredible event. From inspiring athletes to vibrant cultural celebrations, the Games offer something for everyone. Join us as we showcase the best of the North and create lasting memories that will resonate for years to come.
Our Mission
The Whitehorse 2026 Arctic Winter Games will offer participants, spectators, sponsors and volunteers alike the opportunity to expand their physical capacity, build meaningful relationships, experience life-changing moments, and highlight the North’s unique qualities.
Our Vision
It’s about more than just sport and competition. It’s about First Nations culture, community inclusion, and the spirit of togetherness. We are investing in our youth, helping them become well-rounded individuals that care for their community and celebrate its many facets.
Our Values
- Meaningful Relationships
- Legacy Building
- Commitment to First Nations
- Northern Pride
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE
The focus of the Arctic Winter Games is still the same today as it was in 1970, to involve as many participants as possible either in the Games themselves or in the team selection trials, and to provide a forum of competition for those other than elite athletes with competitive opportunities in the south. The cultural component of the Games adds the unique opportunity for fellowship for the participants and host communities.
As stewards of the Arctic Winter Games the International Committee promotes the values symbolized by the three interlocking rings of the Arctic Winter Games logo:
- Athletic Competition
- Cultural Exhibition And,
- Social Inter-Change
The International Committee provides leadership through the development of policy and overseeing the promotion and marketing of the Games. The Arctic Winter Games International Committee assists the jurisdictions to build effective partnerships to address the needs of host communities, participants and Games sponsors.
One of the most important functions of the Arctic Winter Games International Committee is its responsibility for nurturing and protecting the extraordinary impact that the Arctic Winter Games have on the north. The Games achieve these results because they bring together, in one community, a multitude of visiting athletes, coaches, cultural participants, volunteers, media, visitors, officials and community leaders from around the circumpolar and northern world for seven days of athletic competition, cultural exchange and social interaction.
The success of the Games is directly related to a program that combines athletic competition, cultural exchange, and social interaction. The athletic competition features sports that enjoy worldwide popularity alongside exciting northern and traditional Aboriginal events. In combination with the selection trials run by each contingent, the Arctic Winter Games are a significant part of northern sports development.
Cultural programming at the Arctic Winter Games includes participants from all contingents who come together to learn from one another and to celebrate and demonstrate their unique artistic talents. Combined with the important opportunity provided for performing and visual artists from the host region to showcase their talents to the world, the Games are a significant part of northern cultural development.
The Arctic Winter Games promote an atmosphere of social interaction that strengthens cultural awareness and understanding, increases community pride, enhances self-esteem and promotes volunteerism. The Games also help develop stronger economic, political and social ties and provide international exposure to the community in which they are hosted.
More information on the Arctic Winter Games International Committee can be found on the AWGIC website.
HOST SOCIETY & STAFF
The 2026 Arctic Winter Games Host Society has been created for the purpose of hosting the Games. It is a dynamic cross-section of territorial and municipal government representatives, community members, and volunteers dedicated to spending thousands of hours to help celebrate the culture and spirit of the Games.
President
Tracey Bilsky
Vice President / Treasurer
Chris Milner
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Marie Cairns
Peter Johnston
Krista Mroz
Damien Burns
Lesley Brown
AWG 2026 Staff
Policy Statement on Sustainability
The Whitehorse 2026 Arctic Winter Games Host Society was established for planning, organizing and delivering the Arctic Winter Games (AWG2026), in March 2026, Whitehorse, YT. The successful delivery of the AWG2026 will be the result of a collaborative partnership between a large number of stakeholders, volunteers, Indigenous, sporting bodies, the supply chain, and the local community, to name a few.
The principle of sustainability is core to the delivery of the AWG2026. The accepted definition of sustainability comes from the widely recognized 1989 Brundtland Report – “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” More broadly, sustainability is a way of thinking and acting (an approach) with a deliberate intention on striving for an acceptable balance between minimizing the environmental impacts, incorporate social good with lasting economic benefits and legacies.
Based on this principle, the Whitehorse 2026 Arctic Winter Games Host Society is committed to addressing these sustainability priorities in all its activities, to achieve positive economic, social and environmental outcomes for our community.
To show leadership in sustainability performance by embedding economic, social and environmental standards of international accepted best practice, in the delivery of the AWG2026, leaving a positive community legacy. This legacy will also be in the form of transfer of knowledge for the Arctic Winter Games International Committee as well as future Yukon hosted AWG.
- To use the International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2021: Event Sustainability Management System as a guide towards a more sustainable Arctic Winter Games.
- To use the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) 2018: Event Organiser Sector Supplement (EOSS) as a guide for reporting on sustainability performance.
- To communicate our leadership achievements and challenges in sustainable event management.
- Inclusivity – To ensure that all interested parties can participate without fear of discrimination.
- Integrity – To conduct the AWG2026 ethically, consistent with international standards of behaviour.
- Stewardship – To take responsibility for the economic, environmental and social outcomes to be shared by all.
- Transparency – To communicate willingly and openly about the decisions and activities that affect the social, environmental and economic outcomes of our actions.
- Leadership – To demonstrate leadership by delivering AWG2026 to international standards, constantly improving our ways of working and meeting all legal and other requirements.