CANUSA Games facts for kids
The CANUSA Games are a super cool yearly sports competition! They bring together young athletes, mostly 18 and under, from two "sister cities": Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and Flint, Michigan, United States. It's the longest-running sports event for amateur athletes in all of North America. The cities take turns hosting the Games. Hamilton, Canada, hosts in years like 2023, 2025, and so on.
History of the Games
The idea for the CANUSA Games started in Flint, Michigan, in July 1957. Flint had its own sports event called the Flint Olympian Games. Officials in Flint wanted to find another city, about the same size, to compete with every year. They chose Hamilton, Ontario. That's how the "CANUSA" Games were born! The name "CANUSA" comes from combining "Canada" and "USA."
The first CANUSA Games happened in August 1958. Back then, about 200 athletes from each city competed in just seven sports. Wow, how things have grown! Today, over 1,600 athletes from each city take part. They compete in 17 different sports. These include popular games like basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, golf, track and field, swimming, and ice hockey. Over 50 years, about 25,000 people have participated in these amazing Games!
Opening Ceremonies Fun
The Opening Ceremonies are a huge highlight of the CANUSA Games weekend. One of the most exciting parts is the running relay. Runners carry a special torch all the way from the visiting city to the host city. That's a distance of 245 miles between Flint and Hamilton! This torch relay is one of the longest international runs in North America. When the torch arrives at the ceremony, it officially kicks off the Games!
To show the strong bond between the two sister cities, everyone at the Opening Ceremonies sings the national anthems of both Canada and the United States. The Mayor of the host city also gives the "Friendship Trophy" to the Mayor of the visiting city. This trophy is a symbol of friendship and peace. A very special part of the Games is when athletes from the visiting country stay with their teammates from the host city. This is called "billeting." It helps athletes from both countries become friends beyond just competing. It's a key part of what makes the CANUSA Games so special!
Past CANUSA Games Events
The CANUSA Games have been held almost every year since 1958. Here are some of the past events:
| Edition | Host | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Flint, Michigan, USA | The Flint Olympian Games, which led to the first CANUSA Games. |
| 1958 | Flint, Michigan, USA | The very first CANUSA Games! |
| 1959 | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | The first CANUSA Games held in Hamilton. |
| 1960 | Flint, Michigan, USA | The first Harold Webster Trophy was given for Track & Field. |
| 1966 | Flint, Michigan, USA | The first Jimmy Thompson Memorial Award Trophy was given for swimming. |
| 1968 | Flint, Michigan, USA | The first Bernie Arbour Memorial Trophy was given for baseball. |
| 1969 | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | The first Ivan Miller Award was given to a volunteer. |
| 1994 | Flint, Michigan, USA | The Games hired their first paid Business Administrator. |
| 1996 | Flint, Michigan, USA | The first W. Clarence Willson Memorial Trophy was given for girls basketball. |
| 1999 | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | The first Marg Brokenshire Memorial Award was given to a special Hamilton volunteer. |
| 2007 | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | The first Bill Sturrup Memorial Trophies were given for golf. |
| 2011 | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | Flint won its first Games held away from home since 1959. |
| 2012 | Flint, Michigan, USA | Flint won the Games for the third year in a row. |
| 2016 | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | Hamilton hosted instead of Flint due to local issues. |
| 2020 | cancelled | Cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| 2024 | Flint, Michigan, USA |
