An Arctic Winter Games official says his decision to scrap a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy for the upcoming event had nothing to do with pressure from the Alberta government, despite claims by the premier.
The Arctic Winter Games International Committee announced on November 18 that it was waiving the vaccine requirements for participants in the 2023 Games in the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo in northeastern Alberta to “conform with current public health advice.”
Premier Danielle Smith recently told reporters at an unrelated news conference that the government challenged the policy when the Games requested $1.2 million in support as an example of how she was “calling people” to stand up for the unvaccinated in the province.
“They discriminated against the athletes and told them they had to be vaccinated,” she said. “So we asked them if they would reconsider their vaccination policy in light of new evidence and they did. And I was happy to see that.”
But committee president John Rodda said he was not aware of the phone call Smith mentioned. He said three years ago, Alberta Sport Connection, which has since been dissolved, granted $1.8 million to the Wood Buffalo host association.
“There was nothing contingent on any policy mandates,” he said.
Rodda said the decision on the vaccine policy was based on advice from health officials and discussions with other sports organisations.
“There was no other external influence that forced us to make a decision,” he said. “We realize that things have changed and it’s relaxed and that’s how we came to our conclusion.”
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The Games Committee said it supports any jurisdiction that wants to enforce its own vaccine requirements and encourages protective measures such as mask wearing and disinfection.
Smith’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
During her first day as prime minister last month, Smith made headlines when she said unvaccinated Canadians were the most discriminated against group she had seen in her lifetime. She subsequently issued a statement saying she had “no intention of trivializing the discrimination faced by minority communities and persecuted groups”.
“We just want to remind people that in this province we don’t discriminate against people for any reason and that now that we know a lot more about this virus, we want them to address their policies and bring them up to date with what the environment is here what we’re trying to create is a welcoming environment,” Smith said following her comments about the Arctic Winter Games.
The Games are a premier circumpolar youth sporting and cultural event that began in 1970 and are usually held every two years.
Athletes from the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavut, Alaska, Greenland, Nunavik in northern Quebec and northern Alberta, as well as indigenous Sami people from Norway, Sweden and Finland will compete in the Games in Wood Buffalo from Jan. 29 to Feb. . 4.
Athletes mainly range in age from 10 to 19, depending on the category and sport, with young adults also competing in Arctic sports and Dane games.
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The Games were canceled in March 2020, just days before they were due to start in Whitehorse, due to concerns about COVID-19. The Wood Buffalo event was originally scheduled to take place in March 2022, but was postponed due to the pandemic. The Games in Mat-Su Valley, Alaska, are set for March 2024.
“We’re going back-to-back so there’s quite a buzz,” Rodda said.
“There’s more enthusiasm and excitement and energy where we’re back doing what we all love to do and that’s providing opportunities for northern youth.”
© 2022 The Canadian Press
