Eighteen students from the Peace Wapiti Public School Division in the Grande Prairie, Alberta area recently competed at the 2026 Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse. The competition, which ran from March 8-15, 2026, brought together young athletes from across the North to participate in 20 different sports.
Team Alberta North finished third in the overall medal count with 127 medals and tied with Nunavut to win the Hodgson Trophy for sportsmanship. This is the first time in the 56-year history of the event that two teams have shared the sportsmanship award. Local students took part in a wide variety of events, including hockey, volleyball, badminton, basketball, archery, cross-country skiing, and speed skating.
The athletes represented 11 local schools, with seven students attending Beaverlodge Regional High School. Evan Senger, a teacher from Whispering Ridge Community School, also travelled to the Yukon to serve as a coach for the Male Arctic Sports team.
During the closing ceremonies, Governor General Mary Simon met with participants and spoke about how sports help young people build new relationships. The Arctic Winter Games are a major cultural and sports event for northern regions, involving about 2,000 athletes from nine different territories and countries.
