Governor General praises spirit of Special Olympics Summer Games

The celebration has begun in southeast Alberta.

The 2026 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in Medicine Hat have officially kicked off, bringing together athletes from every province in a gathering celebrating unity and inclusion. 

Over 1,700 participants and 1,500 volunteers have gathered for the games that run from August 11-15.

The Governor General of Canada, Louise Arbour, says the games carry a spirit of solidarity, ambition and resilience.  She credits the games with carrying an “invisible part of the Canadian spirit.”