Long before the crowds arrive and the first medal is awarded, the Arctic Winter Games are already in motion. A door gets unlocked before sunrise. A nervous athlete is guided to the right venue. A final check is made before the first whistle blows.
The Games don’t start with competition. They start with volunteers.
For decades, Northwestel technicians, engineers, customer service representatives, and office staff step in, helping months of preparation become a week that the North proudly shares.
This year, cable splicer Aiden and implementation manager Valerie are two of many who were quick to sign up. They may have different roles and different paths to the Games, but they have the same reason for being here: giving back to the North.
Behind every race, match, and ceremony is a network of people making it possible. Volunteers manage schedules, direct traffic, locate equipment, and keep athletes moving between venues. Local businesses donate supplies while friends and families fill the stands.
Northwestel employees show up year after year not only to connect venues, but to support the people who bring them to life.
“From small local businesses donating coffee all the way up to Northwestel providing sponsorship and volunteers. We see it across the community; everybody gives what they can.” says Aiden.
Through Sport Yukon and the Yukon Cycling Association, Aiden has volunteered at major Games before. This year he serves as mission staff for Team Yukon, coordinating logistics and helping wherever it is needed.
Valerie is experiencing the Games differently. After missing the cancelled 2020 Games, this is her first chance to take part. Already an active volunteer across Whitehorse, she’s supporting athletes through medical services with the Canadian Ski Patrol, mostly covering events from the Grey Mountain biathlon range and the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre.
Aiden enjoys the small moments that bring people together, like trading pins or helping visiting teams find their way around town. Valerie looks forward to meeting athletes from across the North and seeing how quickly strangers become teammates.
Those everyday connections are what make the Games feel bigger than sport.
In the North, travel is long, communities are distant, and opportunities for athletes to gather and compete on this scale are rare.
Valerie sees that impact clearly.
“The Games are important for northern communities because it’s a unique platform for youth to display their skills and experience social and cultural empowerment that might be difficult to reach otherwise.”
Aiden sees it too.
“There's a lot more than just athletic inspiration there. Just doing your best and competing against similarly sized territories and jurisdictions - that’s a really awesome opportunity.“
Together, they volunteer to make sure athletes can focus on competing while the community stands behind them.
Supporting volunteers is part of how Northwestel shows up for the Games.
For more than 55 years, Northwestel has supported the Arctic Winter Games with the belief that strong communities grow through shared experiences and connection.
Today, as both a Legacy Sponsor and Arctic Champion Partner, Northwestel is invested in helping the Games come to life in ways that feel inclusive and distinctly northern, from the opening ceremonies to the FanZone and every moment in between.
Behind the scenes, it’s the work of Northwestel teams that helps the Games reach far beyond the venues.
Northwestel is connecting the Games through its fibre-powered network, low-Earth orbit satellite units powered by Euelsat’s OneWeb network, and smart network management using Fortinet technology. Through the Host Society’s partnership with Home Team Network and Northwestel Community TV, communities across the North can watch the Games in real time.
From Watson Lake to Tuktoyaktuk to Iqaluit and everywhere in between, families can watch from home while still feeling part of the moment.
Across the Games, Northwestel volunteers show up in every form, all stepping out of their day-to-day roles and into something bigger.
They aren’t just supporting an event. They’re helping the next generation see what’s possible.
Together, they turn a week of competition into something the whole North shares: connecting communities, champions, and the future of the North.
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Northwestel is proud to serve 97 northern communities, each with a rich and unique Indigenous history, culture, and identity. We exist to help ignite the power of these First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities through the very best communications technology and services. We are committed to doing so in true partnership and consultation with Indigenous governments and other Northern Indigenous partners in a way that creates shared benefits for people in the North.
