Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games unveils Medals

The host society for the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games has unveiled the gold, silver and bronze medals for which athletes will compete this August.

The event celebrated the design created by St. Catharines graphic artist Shaun O’Melia and marked the 100-day-out countdown to the Games that will bring more than 5,000 young athletes and their coaches to the region, and Canada’s largest multi-sport event, Aug. 6 to 21.

The medal, which was designed by local artist Shaun O’Melia, captures the beauty and history of the Niagara Region, while also recognizing the up-and-coming Canadian athletes who will be participating in the 28th edition of the Canada Games.

There are five key features incorporated within the design of the medal and its lanyard, the latter of which was inspired by the IPC. They include:

• Niagara Falls: Divided into 13 waves at the base of the medal, the flow of Niagara Falls represents Canada’s 13 provinces and territories, the 13 municipalities in Niagara that have come together to host the 2022 Canada Games, and the 13 ceremonies of the moon celebrated annually by the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples — the original residents of Niagara;
• The Sun: Found behind the falls, the sun’s inclusion is representative of its crucial role in sustaining life and in the growth of Niagara, along with the Games’ summer schedule;
• Seventh Generation Principle: The seven human figures on the design of the medal acknowledge an ancient Haudenosaunee philosophy that the decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world seven generations from now;
• Niagara Escarpment: Different depths and levels were embedded into the medal to represent the Niagara Escarpment, which is one of the most prominent topographic features in North America and the backbone of Turtle Island; and
• Indigenous Lanyard Design: The medal lanyard took inspiration from several historic Wampum Treaties which promoted friendship, respect and unity.

Teck Resources Limited (Teck), one of Canada’s leading mining companies, will supply every gold, silver and bronze medal awarded at the 2022 Canada Summer Games. Teck has been a sponsor of the Canada Games since 2012, having served as the exclusive medals supplier of Canada’s largest multi-sport competition over that time.

“We couldn’t be more proud and excited to finally reveal the unique and inspiring design of our Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games medals, as created by talented local artist Shaun O’Melia,” said Doug Hamilton, Board Chair of the Niagara 2022 Host Society. “The design of both the medal and the lanyard truly captures the spirit of Niagara, and it will undoubtedly provide the many deserving medallists from the 2022 Canada Games with an honour that they will cherish for years to come.”

“We are thrilled to celebrate this truly special milestone with 100 days to go until the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games,” said Kelly-Ann Paul, President and CEO of the CGC. “We salute Teck, the 2022 Host Society, Shaun O’Melia and the Indigenous Partnership Council for bringing these medals to life. The medals not only reflect the history and beauty of Niagara, but will undoubtedly spark greatness by igniting the competitive spirit of athletes from coast to coast to coast.”

“It’s finally starting to hit me. With the Games just around the corner, the official reveal of the medal will bring with it a sense of accomplishment and relief, a feeling I’m sure I’ll share with many of the athletes as they embark on their Canada Games journey,” added Shaun O’Melia, a resident of St. Catharines and an alumnus of Niagara College who was selected as the winner of the medal design program out of a group of over 45 applicants back in July 2020. “After countless hours, numerous iterations and unexpected delays, I am happy to know the medal design was able to live up to the test of time. Upon revisiting the design, I wouldn’t want to change a thing.”

“Today, the Indigenous Partnership Council and Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games have created history together.  It is the first time there has ever been a design on the lanyard of the gold, silver and bronze Canada Summer Games medals,” said Michele-Elise Burnett, a Board member of the Niagara 2022 Games Host Society and Co-Chair of the IPC. “This year, the medal lanyards will have an Indigenous design based on the wampum treaty principles of unity, friendship and respect.  This is very exciting and something we can all be proud of!  We are walking together as one.”

“For over 100 years, Teck has worked to make communities across Canada stronger, including through partnerships with great organizations like the Canada Games,” said Don Lindsay, President & CEO, Teck. “We’re proud to play a role in developing these medals that represent the region and Indigenous communities while also celebrating the incredible achievements of athletes from coast to coast.”

Held every two years, alternating between winter and summer, the Canada Games are the country’s marquee event for amateur sport representing the highest level of national competition for thousands of up-and-coming Canadian athletes. The 28th edition of the Canada Games will mark just the third occasion in the event’s history that it will have taken place in the province of Ontario and the first time in 21 years. In total, more than 5,000 participants and close to 4,500 volunteers are expected to take part in the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games scheduled for August 6-21, 2022.