Communities Coming Together at the Canada Games

The 2025 Canada Summer Games in St. John’s were something truly special. Yes, they were about incredible athletes and fierce competition, but for me they were also about community, about what happens when municipalities and their people pull together to do something bigger than themselves.

While St. John’s was the official host, the Games stretched well beyond its borders. Communities across the northeast Avalon, Mount Pearl, Conception Bay South, Paradise, and others, stepped up to share the load. Their facilities, volunteers, and local pride were woven seamlessly into an overall Games experience. From a municipal perspective, it was a reminder that no single community could have delivered something of this scale on its own. It took shared vision, coordination, and trust to make it all work.

I was lucky enough to be part of it as a volunteer with the medal ceremonies crew. That role gave me a front-row seat to moments of pure joy, athletes smiling wide on the podium, families bursting with pride, volunteers pulling together to make sure everything ran smoothly. Each ceremony looked effortless, but behind the scenes it required careful scheduling, good communication, and cooperation across multiple jurisdictions. It was collaboration in action, right down to the details.

What struck me most was how boundaries seemed to disappear. Spectators and athletes weren’t focused on which town owned which venue. Whether we were at the lake, on a field, or in an arena, the northeast Avalon came across as one welcoming region. That sense of shared identity is powerful, and it’s something municipal leaders can nurture long after the Games are over.

The experience offered me some clear lessons for municipal leadership. Collaboration expands capacity, no community can do everything alone, but together they can deliver something world-class. Trust is key, success came from empowering local teams to manage their responsibilities without being micromanaged. Shared pride strengthens communities, residents and visitors alike saw the Games as a collective success, not an individual one. And finally, volunteers are indispensable, they connect municipalities to their people in ways that build both resilience and pride.

The past two weeks were some of the busiest and most rewarding I can remember. I worked hard, I met wonderful people, and I had the time of my life. But beyond the medals and memories, the real legacy for me is the reminder that collaboration, between municipalities, governments, and citizens, is not just valuable. It’s essential for building stronger, more connected communities.

Looking forward, the real question is how we keep that spirit of collaboration alive beyond the Games. How can our municipalities continue to share resources, trust one another, and celebrate collective success in the years to come? I’d love to hear your thoughts—what examples of collaboration have you seen in your community that could inspire us all?

What are your thoughts? Reach out to me directly at gail@strategicsteps.ca