Interview with Jim Morell

Partial Transcript: Uh, was born in St John, New Brunswick in 1946 after the war. I grew up really in Fredericton where my dad transferred and worked and had been here since 1949, except for one year at the University of Alberta.

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

Keywords: Fredericton; Government of New Brunswick; University of New Brunswick

Partial Transcript: Ok I joined the Department of Youth, it was called then in 1968. The Premier Louis J. Robichaud was our minister...

Segment Synopsis: Jim explains the various ways that he has been involved in the Canada Games since 1968.

Keywords: 1969 Canada Summer Games in Halifax; Chef de Mission; Hall of Honour; NHL Hockey; Roland McLenahan; Spectator; Youth

Subjects: Government Relations; Organizing the Canada Games; The Canada Games Founders

Partial Transcript: Um, I’ll put this in context, in the 1950s sport was run nationally and provincially by volunteer organizations and there weren't very many of them in Canada or in New Brunswick...

Segment Synopsis: Jim explains the process of organizing the very first Canada Games in 1967, why they were organized, who was allowed to compete, and how people felt about it.

Keywords: 1967 Canada Winter Games in Québec; Age Range; Bill C-131; Centennial; Fitness and Amateur Sport Act; John Diefenbaker; Sport Governing Bodies; St. Thomas University

Subjects: Organizing the Canada Games; The Canada Games Founders

Partial Transcript: I was teaching school and I was being paid $5200 a year and I had loved that, I coached four different sports...

Segment Synopsis: Jim explains how he came to be involved in organizing the Canada Games.

Keywords: Cabinet of New Brunswick; Department of Youth; National Sport and Fitness Advisory Council; Physical Education; Sport Administration; Sport Development; University of New Brunswick

Subjects: Career Impacts; Government Relations

Partial Transcript: Well ‘85 was the opportunity for St John, New Brunswick to host the Games. So, I was the Executive Director of Sport and Recreation at the time,

Segment Synopsis: Jim explains his role in the organizing of the 1985 Canada Games in New Brunswick.

Keywords: 1985 Canada Sumer Games in Saint John, NB; Canada Games Council; Host Society; Interprovincial Sport and Recreation Council; Richard Oland

Subjects: Government Relations; Organizing the Canada Games

Partial Transcript: In 1967 literally they just scrambled out together at within like a year maybe two years. So, they had to go to bodies that were already in existence like the university hockey...

Segment Synopsis: Jim details how the first few Canada Games' were organized, this being a time prior to the formation of the Canada Games Council. He explains the concept of having a council originated in the lead-up to the 1969 Games, as multiple government groups were still organizing things at this point.

Keywords: 1969 Canada Summer Games in Halifax-Dartmouth; Canada Games Council; Canadian Amateur Hockey Association; Compromise; Earl Dawson; Fitness and Amateur Sport; High-performance athletes; Host Society; Jack Pelech; Jerry Beaudry; Lou Lefevre; Sport Development; Sport Federation of Canada; university

Subjects: Government Relations; Organizing the Canada Games; The Canada Games Founders

Partial Transcript: Okay, initially we all just sat around the table in Halifax the the staff person Jerry Beaudry and a few of the workers, you might call them...

Segment Synopsis: Jim talks about the transfer of knowledge that takes place between Canada Games Host Societies and the Canada Games Council, as early as the 1970s.

Keywords: Canada Games Council; Canada Games Handbook; Compromise; Halifax; Host Society; Indigenous; Nova Scotia; Saint John; Transfer of Knowledge

Subjects: Government Relations; Inclusivity in Sport; Organizing the Canada Games

Partial Transcript: Well initially, mainly the federal government paid for a huge proportion of the Games. They paid for all the air travel, they paid for most of the facilities and they paid the whole operating cost of the Games...

Segment Synopsis: Jim talks about funding the Canada Games, and the different groups and organizations responsible for funding the Games.

Keywords: Budget; High-performance athletes; Host Society

Subjects: Built Legacy; Government Relations; Sponsorship

Partial Transcript: Good question. Initially there was no what we called in the ISRC, the rotational cycle of who hosts the Games.

Segment Synopsis: Jim talks about what the bidding process is like for the Canadian communities trying to host the Games.

Keywords: 2003 Canada Winter Games in Bathurst-Campbellton; Burnaby-New Westminster; Community; ISRC; Interprovincial Sport and Recreation Council; New Brunswick; Newfoundland; Saint John; cycle

Subjects: Bidding; Host Society; Organizing the Canada Games

Partial Transcript: Well the Games in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1985 were I'm gonna say my favorite because we were hosting and our group in Saint John, Dick Oland, and his board of directors did an excellent job.

Segment Synopsis: Jim talks a bit more about the 1985 Games in New Brunswick and why they stand out in his memory as one of his favourite Games to have been a part of.

Keywords: 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse; ISRC; Interprovincial Sport and Recreation Council; Richard Oland; Yukon Territory

Subjects: Organizing the Canada Games

Partial Transcript: Yes. For young athletes, and most of the athletes now are young; initially as I said some of the categories you might call them, were senior or open competition or university level. Now it's mostly young people.

Segment Synopsis: Jim explains why the Canada Games are so important for young athletes, giving them an opportunity to compete at a higher level.

Keywords: Athlete Pathway; Athletes Village; Pin(s); Youth

Subjects: Career Impacts; Pin trading

Partial Transcript: Yes, I do. I don't recall any pins in in Halifax-Dartmouth in ’69. I do recall somebody saying "we should give our athletes a few pins to take" 'cause they wear lapel pins. In those days there were a lot of blazers...

Segment Synopsis: Jim talks about the pin trading tradition at the Canada Games, as early as the 1970s.

Keywords: Canada Games Council; Crest; Gear; Jacket; New Brunswick; Pin(s); Uniform

Subjects: Pin collecting; Unity Through Sport

Partial Transcript: Okay, I'll talk about a couple of things. One is Saint John in 1985 they wanted to start a program where artists and performers from all across the country; music and the arts you might say...

Segment Synopsis: Jim talks about the impact of the media on the Canada Games in sharing the event with the provinces and territories. In addition, the cultural events and musical performances at the Games brought people in the communities together.

Keywords: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC); Don Goodwin; Festival by the Sea; Halifax; Legacy; Mission Staff; New Brunswick; Steve Armitage; TSN

Subjects: Media; Unity Through Sport

Partial Transcript: It certainly has. The Games involvement in terms of athletes; where they come from, what their backgrounds are, their ability levels and so on...

Segment Synopsis: Jim explains how the Canada Games have grown to include athletes from small communities throughout the country. The Games have also propelled movements such as women's sport, specifically women's hockey by the 1990s by pushing provinces to fund women's hockey coaching and training so they could all field teams at the Games. Jim also talks about the inclusion of athletes with disabilities and the introduction of para-sports.

Keywords: 1991 Canada Winter Games in PEI; Abigail Hoffman; Blackville; Fredericton; Moncton; New Brunswick; Paraympics; Saint John; Sport Selection; Sussex; Women's Hockey

Subjects: (Dis)Abilities; Inclusivity in Sport; Unity Through Sport; Women & Gender Equity

Partial Transcript: My bias is that sport is a good thing for young people. It's not always a good thing. There are many, too many examples of things that are not good for young people but on balance if sport is done well and right...

Segment Synopsis: Jim talks about the value of the Canada Games for the development of young athletes both physically and mentally.

Keywords: Athlete Development; Athlete pathway; Coach Education; Coach(es); High-performance athletes; Interprovincial Sport and Recreation Council; National Coaching Certification Program; Sport Psychology

Subjects: Sport & Recreation in Canada

Partial Transcript: Wow, every Games that comes to the fore. When athletes and and sport organizers like me get together with their counterparts from across the country, in my case it was getting to know and appreciate the people that I work with.

Segment Synopsis: Jim talks about the compromises that need to be achieved in Canada Games organization and how it all enforces what he feels is "quintessential Canadianism".

Keywords: Bob Secord; Canada Games Family; Community; Ontario; Sport Recreation Fitness Director

Subjects: Community Partnerships; Friendships at the Canada Games; Organizing the Canada Games; Sport & Recreation in Canada; Unity Through Sport

Partial Transcript: I always follow the Games. It doesn't get as much publicity now as it used to but I always follow the Games. I know what our New Brunswick team is doing, I know who's hosting...

Segment Synopsis: Jim tells us how he stays in touch with news of the Canada Games, saying they are still his favourite "Canadian sport activity."

Keywords: Niagara

Partial Transcript: I always enjoy the opening ceremony because there's a lot of excitement. There's a lot of joy, there's a lot of positive energy to it.

Segment Synopsis: Jim says that he always looks forward to watching the opening ceremonies of the Games, getting to see the joy and camaraderie between the athletes and in the community.

Keywords: Community; Host Society; Opening ceremonies

Partial Transcript: Oh, that's a good, that's a good question. I haven't thought much about it lately, but it meant a great deal to me. When it just happened this was, I think the second ceremony, the wall of honor....

Segment Synopsis: Jim talks about being nominated to the Canada Games Hall of Honour, and his pride in being associated with some of the other Canada Games founders.

Keywords: Bill Clark; Bob Secord; Canada Games Council; Chef de Mission; Claude Hardy; Don Johnson; Jack Pelech; Newfoundland; Ontario; Québec; Roland McLenahan

Subjects: Canada Games Founders; Hall of Honour

Partial Transcript: I did a couple of little notes here I'm just scanning but I think I think I covered most of them. It's just interesting like, I've been very fortunate...

Segment Synopsis: Jim wraps up the conversation by offering gratitude for the privilege of being a part of the Canada Games throughout his lifetime.

Subjects: Sport & Recreation in Canada