The 2025 Canada Summer Games concluded this Sunday after a series of thrilling competitions. A total of 715 medals were handed out across the provinces and territories.
Ontario has (yet again) finished the Canada Games with the most total medals, finishing with 175 medals. Many of their medals came in the pool for swimming, where they won 54 medals. Alyssa Smyth won seven medals, including five gold medals, while Isabella Cooper won six medals in the pool. Gavin Schinkelshoek, another swimmer, also performed well during the Games, winning five medals.
While Ontario had the most total medals, they tied Quebec for the most total gold medals, as they both had 63. This was thanks to Oliver Blanchard winning four gold medals in the pool, and Quebec’s dominance in cycling, as the Province won 13 gold medals and 23 total medals in the sport. Quebec also finished second in total medals won, coming a close second to Ontario with 173.
British Columbia rounds out the top three, with 116 total medals. Many of those medals came in the pool, Ken Stroud was a big factor for the Province, winning seven medals, including five gold medals. Myëlle Sanborn was also a major factor for the Province in the pool, winning three gold medals. BC also did very well in team sports, winning gold in Women’s Rugby Sevens, Women’s Box Lacrosse, Women’s Softball, Men’s Baseball, Men’s Beach Volleyball, Golf, and Women’s Wrestling.
Alberta finished the Games with 81 total medals. Both Elleigh Wise and Casey Kruse earned five total medals in the swimming pool, while Alberta also swept gold at basketball, beating Ontario in both the men’s and women’s gold medal games.
Nova Scotia Finishes as Top Atlantic Province, Fifth Overall
Out of Nova Scotia’s 61 medals, 33 of them came from Canoe Kayak as 14 of their gold medals came in Canoe Kayak, with Anna Archibald taking home two of them. While Nova Scotia did not earn any gold or silver medals in team sports, they did get a few bronze medals in Women’s Basketball, Men’s Softball and Women’s Soccer.
Saskatchewan placed sixth in total medals, winning 48 total medals and 13 gold medals. Saskatchewan did very well in diving, winning gold in the team event and earning an additional two gold medals in diving from Lila Stewart. Other than diving, a majority of Saskatchewan’s medals came in Athletics, with 28 of their total medals coming in track and field.
Manitoba finished the Canada Games with 34 total medals, with a majority of them coming in the pool. Teagan Ann Purvis won four total medals in the pool, including three gold medals. Manitoba also competed for a gold medal in a team sport, losing to Alberta in the gold medal game of Men’s Volleyball.
New Brunswick finished the Games with 17 total medals, doing quite well in Athletics, as four of their five gold medals came in Athletics, including two from Dante Cormier. New Brunswick’s other gold medal came from Pepper Pepperdene in Women’s Wrestling. New Brunswick dominated in both Shot Put and Discus. Christel Robichaud won gold in Para Women’s Shot Put and silver in Para Women’s discus. Audrée LeBlanc won silver in Women’s Shot Put, while Rémi Daniel Ouellette won bronze in Para Men’s Shot Put, and also picked up a silver in Para Men’s Discus.
Host NL Finishes 9th Overall With Six Total Medals
Newfoundland and Labrador saw some success at the Games this year, winning six total medals, including one gold medal from multi-sport athlete Gavin Baggs in the Wheelchair Men’s 1500m in Athletics. Baggs won three other silver medals, coming from Wheelchair Men’s 100m and 400m, and in the 200m/400m Para Men’s Freestyle in the pool, capping off a sensational Games for himself. Thomas Pelley also won two medals for the host Province, winning two silvers in the Special Olympic Men’s 50m and 100m Freestyle.
Prince Edward Island won four medals in this edition of the Canada Games. Veronica MacLellan won two bronze medals in the pool, doing so in the Para Women’s 50m/100m Backstroke and 200m/400m Freestyle. The Province’s other two medals came in Women’s Wrestling, as Keely MacGrath won a silver medal, and Alexsa Matheson won a bronze medal. PEI’s best team performance came in Men’s Baseball, as they faced off against Saskatchewan in the bronze medal game, ultimately losing 4-2.
All three of the Territories, unfortunately, did not pick up any medals; however, they still had some memorable moments.
Nunavut’s best performances came in Wrestling, where Gail Kuksuk and Kayalaaq Leishman-Brocklebank each placed seventh. Nunavut also, for the first time ever, had basketball teams participate in the Canada Games.
The Northwest Territories Men’s Basketball team did quite well, finishing 10th overall and even pulling off a close upset win over PEI. The Territory also did quite well in Wrestling.
Finally, Yukon’s best performance came from Leah McLean in Women’s Wrestling, where she placed fifth. Yukon also did quite well in Canoe Kayak, having multiple finishes in the top-8 of various events.
Awards
At the conclusion of the Games, a few awards are given out to select Provinces and Territories.
PEI captured the Centennial Cup, which is awarded to the team that shows the most improvement from the previous Canada Games. The winner is determined after officials look at how each Province or Territory performed in each sport and compare it to the year prior. According to the Centennial Cup standings, PEI improved by 14.0 points, beating out Quebec, which improved by 9.0 points. NL scored a -4.0, which was good for ninth place.
PEI has won the Centennial Cup once before, all the way back in 1971, the first ever time it was awarded. Newfoundland and Labrador won this back in 1977, when the Games were last hosted in St. John’s.
Newfoundland and Labrador was awarded the Jack Pelech Award, which is presented to the team that best combines competitive play, sportsmanship and fair play. The Province was also awarded the Pat Lechelt Award for week two, which was given to Molly Pomeroy, who participated in Athletics. This award is given to the athlete who exemplifies true sport principles on and off the field of play.
New Brunswick’s Mission Team picked up the Claude Hardy Award, which is given to the Province or Territory that best exhibits leadership, cooperation, integrity and team spirit.
Lastly, the Paul Flaherty Volunteer Award for week two was given to Dave and Debbie Shortall, which is given to an outstanding Host Society volunteer.
