Cost, lack of hotel space mean N.W.T. isn't ready to host the Arctic Winter Games yet

The mayor of Yellowknife says the city wouldn't be able to host the Arctic Winter Games right now, with its staff still recovering from last year's wildfire evacuation and a lack of hotel availability in the city in the winter. 

Last month, Municipal and Community Affairs Minister Vince McKay said the N.W.T. will no longer host the games in 2028 because of lack of volunteers, accommodation, services and more. 

McKay said the territory won't be hosting until after 2030. 

"It is a big ask to host," Alty said. "And as the minister noted, you know, a lot of us have been facing emergencies."

Alty said tourists who come to see the northern lights already fill up Yellowknife's hotels in the winter. 

"The aurora tourists do spend the most," she said. "And so we would actually see a bit of a decrease in the spend with having the sports here. If we could host it during one of our lower hotel occupancy months, then we would see more of an economic boost."

Alty said when the city was considering hosting the games in 2026, it was determined the cost to the community would be $5 million. 

"And so whether that's a mix of taxes or sponsorship and you know, with the diamond mines kind of coming to a close, it feels like a tough time to go knocking on the doors of businesses to help out," she said. 

The N.W.T. has not hosted the Arctic Winter Games since 2018, when the games took place in the South Slave region. In 2023, Yellowknife declined an opportunity to host the 2026 Arctic Winter Games, which will now be hosted by Whitehorse instead.

Sport North president Colin Pybus told CBC his team is made up of five people. His organization is the one in charge of setting up Team N.W.T. for the Arctic Winter Games.

"Capacity and financial flexibility are definitely our two biggest strains," he said.

He said the cost alone of getting athletes to trials in the N.W.T. is a "huge" financial strain. 

"I think ultimately, it's an acknowledgement of where the territory is currently," Pybus said. 

Despite that, Pybus said people are still eager to find out what will happen in 2028. 

Still, he said hosting the games would have been an opportunity for friends and family of N.W.T. athletes to support each other at home.

"The fact that you have Team NT on your jacket, you're going to have more fans than you would, say, if we were in Alaska." 

The Trailbreaker11:31The president of Sport North talks about the N.W.T's decision not to host the Arctic Winter Games.

Colin Pybus is the president of Sport North. He joined Hilary Bird to talk about the N.W.T decision not to host the Arctic Winter Games.