Interview with Chris Morrissey

Partial Transcript: OK um so I born five decades ago in St John's Newfoundland, born and raised in Saint Johns, Newfoundland for the first 30 years or so of my life.

Segment Synopsis: Chris tells us a little about himself including where he was born, where he grew up, and where he lives now.

Keywords: Darthmouth; Newfoundland; Nova Scotia; St. John's

Partial Transcript: Um, so yes I was involved with sport both as an athlete, a coach and official before getting involved with the Canada Games that's how I learned about the Canada Games.

Segment Synopsis: Chris explains how he became involved in the Canada Games in the 1990s.

Keywords: Athletes; Coaches; Cornerbrook; Newfoundland & Labrador

Partial Transcript: I really fell in love with the organization with respect to the people I work with and saw this as a potential career move and thought okay and being somewhat young and having no, nothing to tie me down...

Segment Synopsis: Chris talks about his career trajectory and what his first few years of involvement in the Canada Games looked like.

Keywords: Canada Games Council; Commonwealth Games; Cornerbrook; England; London; Newfoundland; Ontario; Operations Manager; Pan-American Games; Winnipeg

Subjects: Career Impacts

Partial Transcript: Um, after 2002 and I had already been contacted by the 2003 group in Bathurst-Campbellton, the Canada Games there to come over and be a bit of a consultant

Segment Synopsis: Chris explains some of his early work with the Games where he worked as a consultant at the 2003 Games in Bathurst-Campbellton, New Brunswick.

Keywords: Bathurst-Campbellton; Cycling; Operations Manager

Subjects: Organizing the Canada Games

Partial Transcript: Um, I had actually applied to the GM in that Games but I was getting married that summer and so I actually bowed out and thought that we agree that live in St.Catharines so that was why I was going to do.

Segment Synopsis: Chris explains his involvement in organizing the 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse.

Keywords: Broadcast; Budget; Event Management; General Manager; Marketing; Media; North; Piers McDonald; Sponsorship; Venues; Whitehorse; Yukon

Subjects: Organizing the Canada Games

Partial Transcript: Um, 2007, so from 2007 we knew we weren’t going to live in the North and had started family and my first boy my oldest. Nate and was born in Whitehorse we wanted to move back to the East Coast.

Segment Synopsis: Chris talks about an array of subjects and goes into detail on the step-by-step process of organizing the Canada Games including budgeting, marketing, sponsorship, and building & choosing event venues,

Keywords: Athletes; CEO; Catriona le May Doan; Climate; Commonwealth; Event Management; Halifax; Host Society; Nova Scotia; Prince George; Sidney Crosby; Sustainability; Whitehorse; Winnipeg

Subjects: Canada Games & the Environment; Government Relations; Organizing the Canada Games

Partial Transcript: Yeah so yeah, it's a marriage I guess it's a complicated relationship and it's, it's a strange relationship because in the sense of that here you have this national body of the Canada Games Council who deals with the feds all the time...

Segment Synopsis: Chris talks about the relationships between organizational bodies that run the Canada Games, and what he's learned throughout his career.

Keywords: Athlete Village; Canada Games Council; Federal; Host Society; Municipal; Piers McDonald; Prime Minister; Provincial; Sport Minister; Territorial; Whitehorse

Subjects: Career Impacts; Government Relations; Organizing the Canada Games

Partial Transcript: Yeah, I mean from a, from an athlete perspective there's a lot more focus on pathways for athletes. So I would say the sport system in Canada is in a good position right now...

Segment Synopsis: Chris talks about the Canada Games Council approach to medicine and healthcare for athletes.

Keywords: Athletes; Community; Hayley Wickenheiser; Mental Health; North; Village; Whitehorse

Subjects: Athlete Mentality in Competitions; Government Relations; Health & Healthcare

Partial Transcript: Well, I've talk for an hour and 10 minutes, of what the Canada Games means to me already so it is not evident I wear it on my sleeve...

Segment Synopsis: Chris reiterates some of what he has already spoken about in his interview, and repeats the main points on why the Canada Games are important to him. He also mentions Canadian identity and what the Games does to bring people together from around the country.

Keywords: Legacy; Olympics; Quebec; Vancouver

Subjects: Canadian Identity; Career Impacts; Francophones and Anglophones; Friendships at the Canada Games

Partial Transcript: Um, every Games are unique. So I I think you always want to make sure, you want to make sure that they they try to keep the uniqueness of the local hosting experience

Segment Synopsis: Chris talks about what he's looking forward to seeing at Niagara, having previously lived in St. Catharines and being familiar with the region.

Keywords: Brock; Niagara; St. Catharines

Subjects: Organizing the Canada Games