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Let the Games Begin! Special Ceremonies including Olympic Medallists, Calgary Flames to Open Sport Competitions on February 28

February 27, 2024

CALGARY—The athletes have arrived, the TC Energy Cauldron will be lit this evening during the Opening Ceremony and the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games Calgary 2024 will officially be underway, February 27 - March 2.

Wednesday will mark the first day of official sporting competitions, and each will begin with special ceremonies including the following:

Event: Curling Presented by Blakes – Ceremonial First Rock
Time: 9-9:30 a.m.
Venue: North Hill Curling Club

The official kickoff to the curling competition will include a parade of athletes led in by pipers. A short presentation will be followed by a ceremonial first rock to declare the curling competition open.

One of the Calgary Games Ambassadors, presented by Pembina, Darby Taylor, will skip a team of Michael Barrett (Blakes), Cheryl Bernard (Olympic Silver Medallist and Games Co-Chair), Shannon Kleibrink (Olympic Bronze Medallist) for the ceremonial first rock.

Event: Figure Skating Presented by BMO – Official Opening
Time: 12:20-12:40 p.m.
Venue: Seven Chiefs Sportsplex
One day removed from the 36th anniversary of her magical silver medal-winning skate at the 1988 Olympics, Elizabeth Manley, will join Tsuut’ina Leader - Minor Chief Tyson Heavenfire - Brad Wells, Managing Director and Head of Energy at BMO Capital Markets, Deborah Korpach (National Anthem Singer) and representatives from the Calgary Black Gold Synchro Teams (flag bearers) to official open the figure skating competition.

Event: Floor Hockey In memory of Michael Van Ooteghem Ceremonial Puck Drop
Time: 3:45-4:15 p.m.
Venue: Seven Chiefs Sportsplex
Mikael Backlund from the Calgary Flames Foundation will join Tsuut’ina Leader - Minor Chief Tyson Heavenfire – and Andrew Ooteghem (Michael’s Brother) and Martin Kudla (Michael’s Friend), along with Calgary Games Ambassadors, presented by Pembina, Darby Taylor and Leonka Kaluha for the official puck drop.

A mini-floor hockey match between 10 representatives the Calgary Flames Foundation against the Special Olympics Calgary Hurricanes will also take place.

For complete information about the Games and scheduling, please visit calgary2024.specialolympics.ca or follow us on our social channels Twitter / Instagram / Facebook / LinkedIn

For further information, please contact:

Chris Dornan
Special Olympics Canada Winter Games Calgary 2024
T: 403-620-8731

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Land Acknowledgement

The Bow and Elbow rivers meet is a place of confluence where the sharing of ideas and opportunities naturally come together. February 2024, Calgary will be gathering place for more than 1,200 Special Olympics athletes from across Canada in their pursuit of sport excellence and connection. Indigenous peoples have their own names for this area that have been in use long before Scottish settlers named this place Calgary. The Métis call the Calgary area Otos-kwunee [“oh-tus-skwahnee”]. In the Blackfoot language, they call this place, Moh-kins-tsis [“mohk-kin-stis”]. The Îethka Stoney Nakoda Nation refer to the Calgary area as Wîchîspa Oyade [“win chee spa oy ah day”] and the people of the Tsuut’ina [“sut sinah”] nation call this area Guts-ists-i [“Goot-sits-say”]. We would like to acknowledge that the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games Calgary 2024 will be located on the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta. This includes: the Siksika [“sit-sicka”], Piikani [“peegun-ee”], and Kainai [“gay-nah”] collectively known as the Blackfoot Confederacy; the Îethka [“yitch ka”] Nakoda Wîcastabi [“wee che stahbi”] First Nations, comprised of the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Good Stoney Bands; and the Tsuut’ina [“sut sinah”] First Nation. The city of Calgary is also homeland to the historic Northwest Métis and to Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3. We acknowledge all Indigenous urban Calgarians, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis, who have made Calgary their home. We work, play and reside on this sacred gathering place and the Games will provides us with an opportunity to engage in and demonstrate leadership on reconciliation.