Let the Games begin

Team P.E.I. takes part in Canada Summer Games opening ceremonies Friday

Summerside’s Logan MacDougall led Prince Edward Island into the Canada Games Friday night in Winnipeg, and now it’s game time.

“It was amazing,” said MacDougall, a three-time athlete of the year at Three Oaks Senior High. “Walking out, seeing all the fans and seats going up forever, I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s something I am going to remember forever.

“It was truly spectacular.” The Island’s Week 1 contingent of 168 athletes, coaches, managers and mission staff marched into the MTS Centre, home of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, in their black shorts and green T-shirts after a sweltering hot day that saw athletes get accustomed to their surroundings and practise for competitions that begin this morning.

Athletes stopped as they passed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to take selfies and gave youngsters high-fives.

Trudeau officially opened the Games and competition begins today.

MacDougall and his baseball teammates play Ontario at 3 p.m. Atlantic in the opener. The pitcher and middle infielder said the team has been training for more than a year and is ready to represent the province.

“We’re going to go out and play hard,” he said.

For MacDougall, the trip to Winnipeg will be a lengthy one, as he will play baseball during Week 1 and stick around to join the indoor volleyball squad in Week 2.

It will also be a family affair, as MacDougall’s younger brother, Ben, is also here for both weeks in the same sports.

Prior to the cauldron being lit, Trudeau shared the torch with Canada Games alumnus Doreen Botterill, Kerry Burtnyk, Susan Auch, Kaitlyn Lawes and Cindy Klassen.

Toronto native Serena Ryder performed Electric Love and Circle of the Sun.

The opening ceremony took place at the Bell MTS Place, home of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets.

There were 852 performers involved in the opening ceremony after rehearsing for months. They ranged in age from nine to 89. There were 1,700 costumes

involved.

Kylee Wallace took part in the water ceremony, a traditional Indigenous ceremony honouring the sacredness, purity and healing power of water.

A large Canadian flag was unfurled as the Prairie Voices Choir performed O Canada.

JASON MALLOY/THE GUARDIAN Logan MacDougall, right, carries the Island flag to lead Team P.E.I. into the opening ceremonies of the 2017 Canada Summer Games last night in Winnipeg.

$1 1)050 Prime Minister Trudeau high fives some young Nova Scotia athletes at the Canada Summer Games opening ceremony in Winnipeg last night.