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2.24.2023
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BY
Doug Gallant
It’s More Than Sports: A Celebration of BIPOC Athletes on Prince Edward Island
To celebrate black history month, the PEI 2023 Canada Winter Games has partnered with the Confederation Centre of the Arts to deliver a new art exhibit spotlighting Island athletes of colour.
Now on view in the Centre’s concourse gallery, It’s More Than Sports: A Celebration of BIPOC Athletes on Prince Edward Island features BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) athletes from the past and present, with a glimpse into what sport could be in the future.
In 1883 Prince Edward Island, boxer George Godfrey was named Colored Heavyweight Champion. He had begun to box in Boston just four years earlier. By the time he stopped boxing in 1896, he had more than 100 fights to his credit. His success paved the way for other black boxers from P.E.I. and other communities in the Maritimes.
Michael Thomas, born on Lennox Island in 1885, established himself early on as an extraordinary distance runner. In 1910, he generated national attention for his running skills and became the first Islander invited to take part in the Boston Marathon. He experienced great success before health issues related to arthritis forced him to quit.
Mohammad Alhaj Ali plays with the Holland Hurricanes Men’s Soccer Team. He has earned many awards including Holland College Athlete of the Year for 2021-22 and Holland College Men’s Soccer MVP for 2021-22.
Kaiya Maracle, who’s been described as a force to be reckoned with on the ice, has been active in women’s hockey since 2020 and in a relatively short space of time has made quite an impact as a forward. Every game becomes more exciting when she takes the ice.
All four of these accomplished athletes and many others are featured in the new exhibition, which draws attention to the often unacknowledged and powerful contribution of BIPOC peoples to the Island sporting communities using historical photos and artifacts, and contemporary photographs by Mi’kmaw photographer Patricia Bourque. It also includes drawings from Island children and features a vision statement for BIPOC sports on P.E.I.
Curated by Bianca Garcia, the exhibition was organized by BIPOC USHR, with support from the 2023 Canada Winter Games, and the Confederation Centre of the Arts.
Sobia Ali-Faisal, executive director of BIPOC USHR, says that although Prince Edward Island has a long history of BIPOC peoples competing in sports, their accomplishments rarely get the attention they deserve.
“We hope that through this exhibition we are able to show people from across Canada that BIPOC athletes have always been around, have always been demonstrating their excellence in sport, and will continue to be a vibrant and skilled part of the Island sports community,” Ali-Faisal says.
There will be a reception for the exhibition on Saturday, February 25 at 7 p.m. A Family Sunday event will also take place on Sunday, February 26 from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. This workshop is a free opportunity for families to explore visual art together, creating their own mixed media story books inspired by the exhibition using cut paper, pencils, markers, and other provided materials.
After 16 incredible days, the 29th edition of the Canada Games will officially conclude tonight with the Closing Ceremony from Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown at 7:30 PM AST.
There have been records smashed and countless debuts made by athletes here at the 2023 Canada Games, but yesterday, history was made when female boxing got underway on P.E.I.
Curling in Canada is rich in history, with the first curling club established in Montreal in 1807. This morning, 216 years later, another first in Canadian curling history took place as Mixed Doubles Curling made its Canada Games debut at the Montague Curling Club.
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Women’s hockey at the Canada Games returns to P.E.I. where it made its original debut in 1991. In the tournaments since then, numerous Canadian hockey idols have laced up and begun their glorious careers at the Canada Games.
In just six contests this Winter Games, McKenna recorded 29 points including 14 goals, smashing a Canada Games record that stood for 28 years. The previous record for points in a tournament was 27, set by Francois Methot of Quebec in 1995 and tied by Kelsey Tessier of New Brunswick in 2007.
With the PEI 2023 Canada Winter Games officially underway, the Canada Games Council (CGC) and the 2023 Host Society are thrilled to celebrate the nation’s top young athletes and their families and friends with the launch of Canada Games House, presented by Canadian Tire.
Let the Games begin! Reminiscent of an Island kitchen party, the athletes were all smiles and a capacity crowd was brought to its feet during the Opening Ceremony of the PEI 2023 Canada Winter Games.
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After many years of planning, the town of North Rustico reached a historic milestone today with the opening of Eliyahu Wellness Centre at Canada Games Place.
The PEI 2023 Canada Winter Games Host Society is ready to give a warm Maritime welcome to over 3,600 athletes, managers and coaches as they descend on PEI’s friendly shores for the 29th edition of the Canada Games.
It’s only fitting that boxing occurred during Week Two of this year’s Canada Winter Games, coinciding with Women’s History Month, which runs the month of March.
Team Alberta’s figure skater, Lia Cho, is this year’s youngest athlete at Canada Winter Games. She is only 10 years old and stands just over four rulers high.
For the first time in Canada Games history, medals will be awarded in mixed doubles curling. The event made its historic debut this week at the Montague Curling Club.
On day 13 of the 2023 Canada Winter Games, the host province, Prince Edward Island, landed on the podium for the first time. Lucas Macdonald of Stratford, claimed the silver medal in the Men’s +81 kg Judo division Thursday afternoon.
Chants of “Novaaa Scotiaaa” echoed throughout Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre in Charlottetown as proud fans watched Ritu Shah and Thomas Ashton add two silver medals to Team Nova Scotia’s growing medal count.
When people speak of the legacy of the 2023 Canada Winter Games the conversation usually focuses on two things, the lifelong memories people take away from the Games and the new sports facilities the Games leave behind.
At the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Alberta’s Evelyn Beaton took home a gold medal for the individual female - 44 kg Judo division.
Sport and competition often draw metaphoric comparisons to life. For PEI’s Crawford family, it’s remarkable how a sport with a tiny target has brought life’s bigger picture into clear view.Sport and competition often draw metaphoric comparisons to life. For PEI’s Crawford family, it’s remarkable how a sport with a tiny target has brought life’s bigger picture into clear view.
Sporting bright green and blue uniforms, the PEI 2023 volunteers are a dedicated and committed group, intent on making sure the Games provide the best possible experience for the young athletes representing their respective provinces and territories.