The Canada Games Announce KIMIK iT as Long-term National and Games Partner

Ottawa, ON – The Canada Games Council (CGC) and KIMIK iT announced today an eight-year partnership leading through the 2019 Canada Winter Games.

 “The Canada Games Council welcomes KIMIK iT, a previous Games supplier as a new long-term National partner of the Canada Games movement,” said Tom Quinn, Chairman, Canada Games Council. “Thanks to KIMIK iT, our Canada Games Host Societies will be managing the logistics of the Games with the expertise of KIMIK iT behind them.”

KIMIK iT, known internationally for their experience in providing complete software solutions handling all logistic and infrastructure in connection with large multi-sport events, will become a National and Games Partner to the CGC and will provide Host Societies with the strongest set of comprehensive IT services through their GEMS.pro software. The value of products and services being provided to the Canada Games until the conclusion of the 2019 Canada Winter Games will be more than $800,000.

“We are excited and privileged to be partnered with the Canada Games Council as we strive together to define and shape the unique Canadian sport landscape through proven Technologies” said KIMIK iT CEO, Ian Wennerfeldt.

KIMIK iT, who have provided IT services at major international games including the 2007, 2009, and 2011 Canada Games, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010 Arctic Winter Games, and the 2004 Blå Sommer Games, will work with the CGC to produce a seamless games and event management system capable of tracking participant, officials, volunteer, guest, accreditation, accommodation, medical, scheduling, and results data.  The upcoming 2013 Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke will see 4,200 athletes come to compete for honours in 20 disciplines on 20 different sites. 

This announcement comes at an important time when the CGC and the upcoming Sherbrooke 2013 Canada Summer Games and the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Price George are celebrating individual Games partners, but also leveraging sponsorships longer-term and building multiple-Games partnerships.

A look back at the Halifax 2011 Canada Winter Games

The delegation from the 2015 Canada Games Host Society takes a look back at the 2011 Canada Games in Halifax.

Rod Black Essay – Halifax 2011 Canada Games

TSN’s Rod Black shares his final thoughts on the Halifax 2011 Canada Games.

Thank You Halifax and Nova Scotia!

Quebec Reclaims Bronze at Canada Games in Comeback Win Against Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan 3 – Quebec 4

Dartmouth, N.S. – It took an inspired comeback and an overtime period for Quebec to earn its second straight women’s hockey bronze medal at the Canada Winter Games, with a 4-3 win over Saskatchewan inside the Sportsplex on Saturday afternoon.

Quebec also won bronze at the 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, Y.T., and has now won bronze four different times at the event, which takes place every four years. Quebec took silver medals in both 1999 and 2003, when the Games took place in Corner Brook, N.L. and Bathurst, N.B., respectively.

Although Quebec earned bronze in the end, Saskatchewan didn’t give it up easily, putting up a feisty fight on the ice in hopes of medalling in women’s hockey at the Games for that province’s first time since winning the silver medal in 1995 in Grand Prairie, Alta. Saskatchewan had a surprising but crowd-pleasing start to the game when Kennedy Ottenbreit-Daunheimer (Grayson, Sask.) put her team on the scoreboard midway through the first. Lauran Zary (Saskatoon, Sask.) notched another in the last minute of the period and Emily Clark (Saskatoon, Sask.) made it 3-0 at 8:51 in the second to give Saskatchewan a lead that made it look the bronze might belong to them.

But while the first half of the game starred Saskatchewan, the second half was all about Quebec, starting with a beautiful goal at 11:34 in the second from Gabrielle Davidson (Pointe Clare, Que.), who sent a shot flying high into the net, the puck hitting the post before crossing the Saskatchewan goal line. Vickie Lemire (Hudson, Que.) added a pretty goal of her own to the scoresheet at 6:40 in the third and Laurence Porlier (Maria, Que.) sent it into overtime at 9:48 in the third.

Saskatchewan continued to show its spunk and sass on the ice during the fourth period, but Davidson secured the bronze medal at just 2:20 in the period, resulting in tears of disappointment for the determined girls from the Prairies and tears of joy for the comeback team Quebec.

Ontario’s Yen-Chun Lu Wins Gold Medal for Table Tennis Boys’ Singles

It was a battle of the top 2 seeds.  Ontario’s Yen-Chun Lu and Zexuan Wang have already won the gold medal in the team event and boys’ double.  Now, they will square off against each other in the gold medal match for boys’ singles.

Zexuan starts the match off strong by building leads of 3-1 and 6-2.  Yen-Chun is not able to make up ground during the game as Zexuan wins game 1, 11-4.  Now, its Yen-Chun strong play to take leads of 4-1 and 8-2.  The 8-2 lead is too big for Zexuan to overcome and Yen-Chun wins 11-6 in game 2.  With the match tied 1-1 and the gold medal awaiting the winner, the intensity goes up a couple notches.

Game 3 starts and Yen-Chun starts out up 3-0.  Zexuan fights back and takes a 9-6 lead.  Yen-Chun wins the next 2 points to make it 9-8 for Zexuan.  With Zexuan feeling the pressure, he takes a time out.  It proves to be a good move as Zexuan is able to win the game 11-9 and take a 2-1 game lead in the match.

Zexuan takes a 6-1 lead in the 4th game and it looks like he is well on his way to the gold medal.  Yen-Chun, the one that shows more outward intensity, wins 7 out of the next 8 points to take a 8-7 lead.  Zexuan wins the next point to tie it at 8 but Yen-Chun wins the next 3 points to win 11-8 in game 4.  The match is now tied 2-2 and it is all down to one game and the winner takes the well earned gold medal.  At this point, the crowd is well aware that these 2 athletes are as evenly matched as the score shows.

In the final game, Yen-Chun builds a 8-4 lead.  Zexuan has the next 2 serves and Yen-Chun is unable to return either of them.  Zexuan wins the next point when his last shot touches the net and Yen-Chun is unable to make the adjustment to return it.  The score now is 8-7.  Five points later, the match ends with a score of 11-8 and Yen-Chun, the top see, wins the gold medal in the 5th and deciding set.

In the end, the large and appreciative crowd got their monies worth out of the match and Yen-Chun Lu got his third gold medal of the 2011 Halifax Canada Games.

Teammates from British Columbia played for the bronze medal match in boys’ singles.  They were Adrian Lee and Jeremy Lau.  Similar to the gold medal match, the bronze medal match went to the 5th and deciding set to determine the winner.  Adrian took control the match by winning the first 2 games with scores of 11-7 and 11-9.  Jeremy was able to level the match at 2 by winning the next 2 games 14-12 and 11-8.  In the 5th game, Adrian Lee was able to win 11-5 and win the bronze medal.