Interview with Piers McDonald

Partial Transcript: Well ok I was born in Kingston ON and I grew up there went to Queens there for a couple of years and then found my way west to pay for University...

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

Keywords: Kingston; Queens; Whitehorse; Yukon

Partial Transcript: So I was peripherally involved in the Games as a sport minister back in 1980s and 90s and and I was very much supportive of the Yukon government...

Segment Synopsis: Piers explains how he first became involved in the Canada Games, through his peripheral connection to the Whitehorse bid committee.

Keywords: Bid committee; Canada Games Council; North; Whitehorse

Subjects: Bidding

Partial Transcript: One element of the evolution of the Canada Games over the last twenty years is, uh, is the role of the host society...

Segment Synopsis: Piers talks about the Host Society for the 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, Yukon. He mentions how they had to fundraise and solicit corporate sponsorships outside of the territory in order to make the Games a success.

Keywords: Arctic Winter Games; Canada Games Council; Coca-Cola; Corporate; Fundraising; Host Society; Sponsorship

Subjects: Community Partnerships; Government Relations; Organizing the Canada Games; Volunteering

Partial Transcript: Well when we first um... when we first got the Games is it was a bit of a, I have to tell you it was a bit of a shock we were actually able to host these Games...

Segment Synopsis: Piers talks about how the 2007 Canada Winter Games included more than just the Whitehorse community, but also included people, organizers, community groups and Indigenous groups throughout the North.

Keywords: Alaska; Alberta; Communities; Drumming; First Nations; Greenland; Indigenous; Knuckle Hop; Mines; Northwest Territories; Nunavut; One foot high kick; Premier; Quebec; Soviet Union; Throat singing; Yukon

Subjects: Canadian Identity; Community Partnerships; Inclusivity in Sport; Indigenous/First Nations relations; Unity Through Sport

Partial Transcript: Well there are many challenges frankly I could, I could go on for absolutely hours. One of the major challenges that we faced that I haven’t spoken to yet was the issue of athletes villages.

Keywords: Athlete village; Canada Games Council; Ceremonies; Facilities; First Nations; Indigenous; Olympics; School; Students

Subjects: Community Partnerships; Education; Media; Niagara; Organizing the Canada Games

Partial Transcript: Well typically, typically depending on who you are and what your interests are you'll probably, if you're in the sport community at all, you’ll probably be able to recognize some improvements of facilities around around the community.

Segment Synopsis: Piers explains some of the impacts of the 2007 Canada Winter Games on Whitehorse. He explains how the legacies are seen in physical infrastructure, as well as within the collective memory of the community.

Keywords: Canada Games Council; Community; Legacy; Multiplex

Subjects: Built Legacy; Community Partnerships; Industry / post-industrialization; Organizing the Canada Games; Unity Through Sport

Partial Transcript: Well that was that was a big part of it, the, the, if you think about it we um, there are not many, there are not many opportunities to do things like this...

Segment Synopsis: Piers talks about the mentality that the community had towards organizing the 2007 Canada Winter Games.

Keywords: North; Rural; Whitehorse

Subjects: Canadian Identity; Community Partnerships; Organizing the Canada Games; Volunteering

Partial Transcript: Well when the Games are over, the Games are generally over the night of the final night and apart from people who are, just can't get enough of volunteering, most of your volunteers leave.

Segment Synopsis: Piers explains what it was like to wind down from the Canada Games after they were over, and the work that still had to be done.

Keywords: Boards; Gear; Jackets; Politics; Winter

Subjects: Organizing the Canada Games; Volunteering

Partial Transcript: Well I see, I see lots of room for improvement all the time. I spent most of my time on the Canada Games Council always pushing for change and for improving things.

Segment Synopsis: Piers says that the Canada Games are a community building experience and to improve the Games would mean to have them gain broader recognition throughout the country.

Keywords: Athletes; Maritimes; Students; Whitehorse

Subjects: Canadian Identity; Unity Through Sport

Partial Transcript: Well pin trading is a big thing in the, in these events I don't know if you've experienced it yourself but you can get, get unfortunately quite wound up in it.

Segment Synopsis: Piers talks about what pin collecting was like, and how the Whitehorse pins connected to their the territory's historic roots.

Keywords: Gold; Logo; Mining; Pin(s); Tourism; Yukon

Subjects: Industry / post-industrialization; Pin collecting

Partial Transcript: Well every Host Society aspires to have the um, Prime Minister attend the Games and um, we typically try to have the Prime Minister attend opening, Governor General attend closing.

Segment Synopsis: Piers describes what it was like to have Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper attend the opening ceremonies of the 2007 Canada Winter Games.

Keywords: Canadian; Governor General; Larry Smith; Prime Minister; Stephen Harper

Subjects: Canadian Identity; Government Relations

Partial Transcript: Well that's, that's the classic debate isn't it? Had been around for quite a while... what are the Games? Do they advance the careers of athletes or do they do they are they really fantastic recreation event?

Segment Synopsis: Piers talks about how the Canada Games offer young Canadian athletes the opportunity to compete on the national stage.

Keywords: Athletes; Cassie Campbell; Catriona le May Doan; Hockey; Ice rink; Nationalism; North; Olympic; Women; Yukon

Subjects: Canadian Identity; Unity Through Sport

Partial Transcript: One of the things you get to understand if you go around, if you do get a chance and get lucky enough to go around the country bit...

Segment Synopsis: Piers talks about how the Canada Games unify Canadians, bringing people together from different walks of life.

Keywords: Nationalism; Travel

Subjects: Canadian Identity; Inclusivity in Sport; Unity Through Sport

Partial Transcript: Yeah I think it did precisely that I think you know, there are certainly some differences... the um... the world in the Yukon is probably more of a rural atmosphere than elsewhere...

Segment Synopsis: Piers explains how the Canada Games played a role in helping some Canadians understand what life is like in the North. He says it set the bar high for the North and the next time they host the Canada Games.

Keywords: Alaska; Media; North; Pan-Northern

Subjects: Canadian Identity; Organizing the Canada Games; Unity Through Sport

Partial Transcript: Well firstly if all the municipalities are still being nice to each other then I think that is a signal of success, at least one signal. And I realize how much of a challenge that is...

Segment Synopsis: Piers mentions how he's excited to follow the box lacrosse events at the 2022 Canada Summer Games in Niagara, and talks about what the Games mean for kids who are just beginning their competitive sport careers.

Keywords: Box lacrosse; Competition; Kids; Niagara

Partial Transcript: Well I think the 2000 Games provided some, a slightly different angle to this whole question about Aboriginal sport and Aboriginal involvement in sport.

Segment Synopsis: Piers talks about specifically Northern sports played by Indigenous peoples in Whitehorse and other Canadian territories, and how they were shared with the public, as opposed to more mainstream sports like hockey that are played at the Canada Games.

Keywords: Aboriginal; Arctic; Box Lacrosse; Hockey; Indigenous; Knuckle Hop; Media; Snowboarding; Sport Selection

Subjects: Canadian Identity; Indigenous/First Nations relations; Media; Unity Through Sport