Latest news with #TeamSaskatchewan
CBC
19 hours ago
- Sport
- CBC
Team Sask. scores multiple wins on Day 11 of the 2025 Canada Summer Games
Team Saskatchewan picked up wins in a number of events on Day 11 of the Canada Summer Games in St. John's, N.L.
CBC
a day ago
- Sport
- CBC
Regina basketball player's family 'stuck' in St. John's after Air Canada flight cancelled
The proud family of a Team Saskatchewan basketball player has been in St. John's for the Canada Summer Games. But three of them never made it home to Regina after Air Canada cancelled their flight. Cancellations began happening all over Canada as Air Canada flight attendants walked off the job on Saturday, and were subsequently locked out. The strike forced Air Canada to cancel more than 2,000 flights, according to experts. But as of Tuesday, a tentative agreement has been reached to end the contract dispute between Air Canada and its flight attendants, both the airline and the Canadian Union of Public Employees announced Tuesday. The Lippai family travelled to St. John's on Aug. 8 to cheer on Joe Lippai, 17. Team Saskatchewan ended the games seventh overall on Saturday, an improvement on its 2024 outcome. Joe Lippai's sister and parents were supposed to head back to Regina via Air Canada Sunday morning. "We were actually at the their final game. The buzzer went and just as I went to stand up, my pocket buzzed, notifying us that our flight had been cancelled," Bill Lappai said. When the family talked to an Air Canada agent about their options, they were told the earliest they could fly home would be Thursday. The Lippais originally booked their hotel for nine days, which Carla Lippai said was expected to cost between $4,200 and $4,900 depended on day-to-day rate fluctuation. Now that the family needs to extend their hotel stay, if the rescheduled flight does go out Thursday, they will be billed approximately $6,000 for the accommodation. Athletes back home, families stuck on east coast While his family is stranded, Joe Lippai and his teammates are already back in Saskatchewan. The basketball team took a Canadian North chartered plane to Saskatoon Sunday morning. Carla Lippai said many families are in the same boat — the athlete is solo back in the province, while their families try to find a way to get back. While the chartered flight landed in Saskatoon, Team Saskatchewan athletes come from Prince Albert, North Battleford, Martensville, Regina, Yorkton and Moose Jaw — in addition to the Bridge City. Carla Lippai said the family is glad their 17- year-old can drive himself back to Regina. Jillian Lippai, 11 years old, is nervous about the wait. It's an especially busy time for the youngest Lippai. She is set to begin football Thursday, but will not be able to make it. She is also taking Taekwondo and will miss a class. She's also eager to get ready for the new school year, and said she misses her dogs 'so much.' "I'm kind of worried that, like, for Air Canada, they're gonna like keep, like, cancelling our flights and stuff and then it's going to take so long to, like, actually get home," said Jillian Lippai. Air Canada has confirmed the tentative deal in a statement and said that flights would gradually return beginning Tuesday evening. "The suspension of our service is extremely difficult for our customers. We deeply regret and apologize for the impact on them of this labour disruption," said Michael Rousseau, the airline's president and CEO in a statement. Air Canada operates around 700 flights daily. The airline had estimated on Monday that 500,000 customers would be affected by flight cancellations. Rousseau advised customers to be patient as full restoration of service "may require a week or more." "There's a lot of families impacted that need to get home. And it's not just people stuck here for Canada Games. There's people all across Canada, all over the world that are impacted," said Carla Lippai. "So we need to get this resolved so we can carry on."
CTV News
a day ago
- Business
- CTV News
‘Heartbreaking': Air Canada workers' strike throws curveball into Sask. baseball team's championship hopes
The Team Saskatchewan U15 boys baseball team is facing uncertainty, after the team's flights to the national championship in PEI were cancelled due to the Air Canada workers' strike The Air Canada workers' strike has the Team Saskatchewan U15 boys baseball team scrambling to get to the national championship. 'We were supposed to fly out 11 a.m. [Tuesday] and get to P.E.I. about midnight,' head coach Blair Beck told CTV News. 'We're on plan B for sure.' The airline said Monday all flights scheduled up until 4 p.m. on Tuesday through Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge have been suspended as the airline and the union representing flight attendants have not been able to reach a new deal. The cancellations included Team Sask.'s travel plans to the Ray Carter Cup Championships in Summerside, P.E.I. – flights which had been booked in March. 'Air Canada had the best options in terms of time getting into Charlottetown. So that's the ones we went with,' Baseball Sask Executive Director Mike Ramage said. 'Now all our flights have been canceled and there's nothing else out there coming from Regina to the Maritimes.' Ramage says the 16 players have been working all season for a chance to win a national championship. 'It would be absolute heartbreaking if they weren't allowed to go there and bring home a medal,' he said. 'I think we got a good team and we can compete with anyone there,' first baseman and outfielder Jaxon Weir said. 'It's just whether we put it together and get down there.' The tournament begins Thursday in Summerside, with Saskatchewan taking on Quebec in their first game that morning. 'We knew there was going to be some issues [due to the strike],' Beck said. 'We were pretty down for a bit, but it sounds like we're going to maybe find a solution.' A parent's sacrifice While the team practiced for the final time in Regina Monday evening before their scheduled flights, parents were in the bleachers on hold with various airlines. Some for the majority of the time players were on the diamond. Kirby Inverarity's family had seven flights booked with Air Canada Tuesday out of either Regina or Saskatoon to go watch his son, Aivan. All of them were cancelled. 'We were just hoping the later flight for the boys stayed intact,' he said. 'The disappointment is more for the kids.' Other parents who had flights with other airlines – like WestJet – are attempting to swap their seats with the players to get the team to P.E.I. '[We] just want to see the boys get to play,' Inverarity said. 'It's a big stage, they're excited and there's still a good chance they're going to get there.' 'You couldn't ask for anything more.' Beck said. 'To get to this point [in their careers], kids need great parents who are willing to sacrifice things for them. And then to step up and give up flights and do whatever they can do to get their kids there is super impressive.' Despite the tumultuous travel situation, players were optimistic of their chances to take the field. 'It just shows how much they care about us and want to see us play at that level,' Weir said. 'That they would put us before themselves.' According to the team, even with parents giving up their seats, it was possible there would not be enough to get everyone to Summerside. 'Hopefully it works out and they get to play,' Inverarity added. 'We'll be watching from home online now.' Pre-tournament adversity Beck said he'd rather have been talking about his squad's chances of winning the tournament, instead of arriving in the first place. 'We've been working to get here since the day we left last year, honestly,' he said. 'We have a lot of really good ballplayers and we're real happy with the great group of guys.' Beck hoped overcoming adversity before the tournament can propel the team to a national championship. 'It's been chaos. I forgot my luggage because I was so rattled,' he joked. 'But I like it. It'll definitely be something we'll use throughout the whole tournament. We play some big-time teams we think we can compete with.' 'We're going to play for [our families],' Weir said. 'We'll play for our province and hopefully bring back a medal.'
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Come together: Why the Canada Games may be more important than ever
The Canada Games have brought people together in the past, but this year's edition comes at a time when unity may be as important as competition itself. The country's biggest domestic sporting event begins on Friday in St. John's, where more than 4,200 young athletes will represent their province or territory across 19 different sports. Canada Games Council chair Catriona Le May Doan said the multi-sport event is about more than what happens on the field of play. "It's an Olympics and a Paralympics at a national level, [and] it's high-performance sport coming together representing provinces and territories," she said. "But it's about a community showcasing their spirit, their people, and art and culture, while one of the highest levels of sport is happening in a multi-sport fashion." Athletic competition isn't the only way the 2025 Canada Games will look to unite the country, which has been the goal since the very first Games in 1967. The multi-sport event began as a nation-building project with the motto "unity through sport." 'The Games are so much more than sport' Le May Doan, a two-time Olympic champion speed skater, is also a three-time Canada Games participant. She said her time representing Team Saskatchewan taught her about the heritage and culture of other Canadians, and that remains a vital lesson for Canada Games athletes in 2025. "That's what it's about, it's about learning about our country. And it's about learning about it through sport, that's what's incredible," she said. "It's about Indigenous nations and about learning about the different nations that are situated in various provinces and territories. "It's about uniting, which – now, more than ever – we know we need, but we do that through sport. But the Games are so much more than sport." Stream live action from the 2025 Canada Games on CBC Gem, and the CBC Sports YouTube channel. Check the broadcast schedule for full details. It's also about finding common ground during a time where the term "51st state" has been used repeatedly by the U.S. president. Le May Doan sees unity in the simple act of athletes gathering for the opening ceremony. "The fact that we are coming together, that doesn't happen a lot. It doesn't happen that all provinces and territories enter one stadium together. "Now, more than ever, our country is saying, 'hey, we are an amazing country,' because everything we're going through, [whether that's] conflict around the country, conflict with the U.S.," Le May Doan said. "We're like, 'how do we work better together?' That goes beyond sport." Le May Doan sees the Canada Games as a way to overcome cultural and geographic differences because athletes bring a lot more to the Games than just their sports equipment. "What we're celebrating here is sport, but we're also set celebrating culture. Every province and territory, they have not just the athletes and the coaches and the mission team, but they have families as well," she said. "They have their culture and beliefs that they bring with them [and] that is celebrated at the Games. It's about understanding." Atmosphere of inclusion, understanding That principle of understanding also extends across all ability levels at the Games. Le May Doan believes the atmosphere is beneficial for all young athletes – and not just the ones striving to become the country's next generation of Olympians. "It's not just the Olympics, because this, for a lot of them, is an experience that you don't get at that higher level. They're in the same village or on the same team as athletes with a physical disability and athletes with an intellectual disability. "That doesn't ever happen, that those three come together and they're in the same competition. Now, that teaches coaches, officials, volunteers and athletes a lot, and it's about inclusion." All athletes will compete under the banner of their respective province or territory, which brings with it another aspect of unity. "It's high-performance sport – because this is the goal of so many athletes – but it's also community outreach, because the pride of representing your province or territory is almost hard to describe," Le May Doan said. "It's sort of educational in [a] way, while competing at that highest level, while staying in an environment that's so unique. You're staying with your province or territory, you're eating [together] in a cafeteria. "This is different and it's powerful, it's intimidating, it's beautiful, and it's exciting." Olympic sprinter Audrey Leduc knows all about that feeling. The Canadian women's record holder in 100 metres competed at both the 2017 and 2022 Canada Games, the latter of which saw her win three gold medals. The Gatineau, Que., native said she enjoyed competing at the Canada Games because of the atmosphere they create. "It's nice to be able to not just be in track and field – it's like your whole province is behind you," Leduc said. "You're seeing all the athletes, and it's not just your sport, you have the whole nation that is competing – it's special." Savannah Sutherland was also at those 2022 Canada Games in the Niagara region, and she credits them, and being back among Team Saskatchewan, as a turning point in her career. The Borden, Sask., native – now an Olympian and two-time NCAA outdoor champion in the women's 400m hurdles – was coming off a disappointing freshman year of college at the University of Michigan. "I kind of went into the Canada Games a little bit skeptical and not very pleased with myself and how track was going. [I was] just kind of burnt out and was ready for the season to end. "Then I ended up having a really amazing time at Canada Games…and having a really amazing time with the team, and that kind of re-centred me a little bit. Especially being back on Team Saskatchewan after being away for a while. "I kind of grounded myself a little bit more and I ended up winning and having probably my best race of the entire season," Sutherland said. "I think that really turned things around for me. That was definitely a turning point in my career, because the next year I went on to win nationals and NCAA outdoors." Next generation of athletes and leaders Both Leduc and Sutherland went on to compete at the Olympics, joining countless other Canada Games alumni to do so. But it's not just the next generation of Olympians that get the benefits of being at a Canada Games. Le May Doan said she recently spoke with three alumni that told her that their involvement with the Canada Games helped them in their careers, both inside and outside of sport. She said that a Canada Games experience lasts a lifetime and can benefit everyone. "It's not just those 17 days of the Games. These are life lessons so those athletes that you're going to see in the field of play, we know the leadership skills that they learn," she said. "They're our next leaders, so we can't take this lightly, like 'this is just sport.' These are our leaders of the future. "Now, more than ever, we need to be focused on that – because we need great leaders."
CBC
04-08-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Come together: Why the Canada Games may be more important than ever
The Canada Games have brought people together in the past, but this year's edition comes at a time when unity may be as important as competition itself. The country's biggest domestic sporting event begins on Friday in St. John's, where more than 4,200 young athletes will represent their province or territory across 19 different sports. Canada Games Council chair Catriona Le May Doan said the multi-sport event is about more than what happens on the field of play. "It's an Olympics and a Paralympics at a national level, [and] it's high-performance sport coming together representing provinces and territories," she said. "But it's about a community showcasing their spirit, their people, and art and culture, while one of the highest levels of sport is happening in a multi-sport fashion." Athletic competition isn't the only way the 2025 Canada Games will look to unite the country, which has been the goal since the very first Games in 1967. The multi-sport event began as a nation-building project with the motto "unity through sport." 'The Games are so much more than sport' Le May Doan, a two-time Olympic champion speed skater, is also a three-time Canada Games participant. She said her time representing Team Saskatchewan taught her about the heritage and culture of other Canadians, and that remains a vital lesson for Canada Games athletes in 2025. "That's what it's about, it's about learning about our country. And it's about learning about it through sport, that's what's incredible," she said. "It's about Indigenous nations and about learning about the different nations that are situated in various provinces and territories. "It's about uniting, which – now, more than ever – we know we need, but we do that through sport. But the Games are so much more than sport." Stream live action from the 2025 Canada Games on CBC Gem, and the CBC Sports YouTube channel. Check the broadcast schedule for full details. It's also about finding common ground during a time where the term "51st state" has been used repeatedly by the U.S. president. Le May Doan sees unity in the simple act of athletes gathering for the opening ceremony. "The fact that we are coming together, that doesn't happen a lot. It doesn't happen that all provinces and territories enter one stadium together. "Now, more than ever, our country is saying, 'hey, we are an amazing country,' because everything we're going through, [whether that's] conflict around the country, conflict with the U.S.," Le May Doan said. "We're like, 'how do we work better together?' That goes beyond sport." Le May Doan sees the Canada Games as a way to overcome cultural and geographic differences because athletes bring a lot more to the Games than just their sports equipment. "What we're celebrating here is sport, but we're also set celebrating culture. Every province and territory, they have not just the athletes and the coaches and the mission team, but they have families as well," she said. "They have their culture and beliefs that they bring with them [and] that is celebrated at the Games. It's about understanding." Atmosphere of inclusion, understanding That principle of understanding also extends across all ability levels at the Games. Le May Doan believes the atmosphere is beneficial for all young athletes – and not just the ones striving to become the country's next generation of Olympians. "It's not just the Olympics, because this, for a lot of them, is an experience that you don't get at that higher level. They're in the same village or on the same team as athletes with a physical disability and athletes with an intellectual disability. "That doesn't ever happen, that those three come together and they're in the same competition. Now, that teaches coaches, officials, volunteers and athletes a lot, and it's about inclusion." All athletes will compete under the banner of their respective province or territory, which brings with it another aspect of unity. "It's high-performance sport – because this is the goal of so many athletes – but it's also community outreach, because the pride of representing your province or territory is almost hard to describe," Le May Doan said. "It's sort of educational in [a] way, while competing at that highest level, while staying in an environment that's so unique. You're staying with your province or territory, you're eating [together] in a cafeteria. "This is different and it's powerful, it's intimidating, it's beautiful, and it's exciting." Olympic sprinter Audrey Leduc knows all about that feeling. The Canadian women's record holder in 100 metres competed at both the 2017 and 2022 Canada Games, the latter of which saw her win three gold medals. The Gatineau, Que., native said she enjoyed competing at the Canada Games because of the atmosphere they create. "It's nice to be able to not just be in track and field – it's like your whole province is behind you," Leduc said. "You're seeing all the athletes, and it's not just your sport, you have the whole nation that is competing – it's special." Savannah Sutherland was also at those 2022 Canada Games in the Niagara region, and she credits them, and being back among Team Saskatchewan, as a turning point in her career. The Borden, Sask., native – now an Olympian and two-time NCAA outdoor champion in the women's 400m hurdles – was coming off a disappointing freshman year of college at the University of Michigan. "I kind of went into the Canada Games a little bit skeptical and not very pleased with myself and how track was going. [I was] just kind of burnt out and was ready for the season to end. "Then I ended up having a really amazing time at Canada Games…and having a really amazing time with the team, and that kind of re-centred me a little bit. Especially being back on Team Saskatchewan after being away for a while. "I kind of grounded myself a little bit more and I ended up winning and having probably my best race of the entire season," Sutherland said. "I think that really turned things around for me. That was definitely a turning point in my career, because the next year I went on to win nationals and NCAA outdoors." Next generation of athletes and leaders Both Leduc and Sutherland went on to compete at the Olympics, joining countless other Canada Games alumni to do so. But it's not just the next generation of Olympians that get the benefits of being at a Canada Games. Le May Doan said she recently spoke with three alumni that told her that their involvement with the Canada Games helped them in their careers, both inside and outside of sport. She said that a Canada Games experience lasts a lifetime and can benefit everyone. "It's not just those 17 days of the Games. These are life lessons so those athletes that you're going to see in the field of play, we know the leadership skills that they learn," she said. "They're our next leaders, so we can't take this lightly, like 'this is just sport.' These are our leaders of the future.
