'We play for the honour of our ancestors': Box lacrosse is here to stay at the Canada Games

CBC

a day ago

ST. JOHN'S — While the venue may have changed, box lacrosse at the Canada Games is not going anywhere.
Wildfires prompted an evacuation alert in the community of Paradise and forced the relocation of the box lacrosse competition at the 2025 Games on Tuesday. That moved the action in this year's women's tournament from the Paradise Double Ice Complex venue to the DF Barnes Arena.
After a pilot project in 2022, the sport returned for the 2025 Canada Games and was then officially added as a permanent sport on the programme. The Games are seen as an important showcase to grow Canada's national summer sport as well as Indigenous participation in the Canada Games themselves.
Council president and CEO Kelly-Ann Paul said box lacrosse is important because of its "meaningful roots in Indigenous culture."
"Its specific inclusion … is a symbol of our dedication to honouring Indigenous culture and ensuring the Games reflect the diversity of the country," Paul said. "It's a meaningful step in strengthening the cultural fabric of both the Games and our nation."
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Before the venue change, Kevin Sandy was operating an interactive booth where the director of the Haudenosaunee Lacrosse / Iroquois Lacrosse Program was teaching people about the origins of box lacrosse and the many "beautiful" reasons it's played.
"It's a medicine game, it's a healing game. It's a game that's used to settle disputes. We play for the honour of our ancestors," Sandy said. "There's so, so many different oral traditions and stories behind the game."
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Lacrosse Canada's technical coordinator Rachael McKinnon said the game is ingrained in Canadian history and culture and that its inclusion reflects a commitment to showcasing and developing Canadian identity through sport – while also honouring its roots.
"Including lacrosse in the Canada Games is about more than competition – it is about honouring the Indigenous roots of the sport. Lacrosse was gifted by Indigenous Peoples as a game of medicine, healing, and community," McKinnon said. "Its presence in the Games is a form of respect and recognition for the original stewards of the game.
"For Indigenous athletes, it provides meaningful representation and connection to culture, history, and identity on a national stage. It's a step toward reconciliation and a reminder that sport can be a bridge that brings people together."
Inclusion in the Canada Games also exposes athletes that may not otherwise get the chance to play box lacrosse.
"Lacrosse continues to grow across the country and provides youth with an opportunity to compete at a high level while representing their province or territory," McKinnon said in a statement. "A consistent presence at the Canada Games would help drive development, inspire future generations, and give lacrosse the platform it rightfully deserves."
This exposure is critical for a game that needs a showcase to grow.
"Within our territory, within our community, it's probably ... the number one game there," Sandy said.
"But I know in other communities, in other regions, it's kind of declined. I think more work needs to be done at the community level within schools and colleges and universities to promote it [and] to get sticks in kids' hands."
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Its inclusion in the 2025 Games is the main reason why the Newfoundland and Labrador women's box lacrosse team exists.
Cali Fitzgerald joined Team NL after attending a tryout last year, which she was invited to because she was playing a similar sport.
"Ball hockey is what got me into it. My mom's friend reached out to the ball hockey association and said, 'would anyone be interested in giving lacrosse a try?'," she said.
"I love trying new sports, I love seeing what else this province has to offer. So I gave it a try, and a year later, here I am."
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Fitzgerald said she quickly fell in love with box lacrosse because of how enjoyable it is to play, plus the very accepting culture around the game.
"It's aggressive [and] it's so much fun. It's a little chaotic sometimes. It's just overall such a welcoming sport, too," Fitzgerald said. "That's one thing, the energy in lacrosse is an energy I've never experienced in any other sport before.
"I've played many sports growing up, and I find that lacrosse has the most welcoming, the most positive and the most inspiring energy out of all the sports I've played. The fans, the players, the coaches, the other teams, everyone is just so welcoming. I know [Team NL is] the ones doing all the welcoming, but the other teams are definitely making us feel welcome into the lacrosse community."
Fitzgerald said she would tell anyone curious about the sport to "give it a shot."
"Whatever you think you can do, you absolutely can. If you put your mind to it, you can do it. If you were to tell me a year ago I would be here, I would not believe you."
The Canada Games are one avenue that ensures the game will be played by more and more people.
"[Box lacrosse] is just a wonderful, beautiful game that was our gift to the world. And it's continuing to expand its horizons," Sandy said.
"It's a game that I think transcends time, and this is something I want to see continue forever and ever."