Canada Video games aiming for ‘Good Vibes Solely’ at St. John’s 2025 and past

With regards to the ambiance across the 2025 Canada Video games in St. John’s, there’s solely room for one kind of perspective: Good Vibes Solely.

That is not only a catchphrase, it is the title of the group’s secure sport consciousness marketing campaign.

Canada Video games president and CEO Kelly-Ann Paul mentioned ‘Good Vibes Solely’ is a part of her group’s effort to vary how folks view secure sport coverage, which is about making a enjoying discipline freed from harassment, abuse and discrimination.

“[With] secure sports activities, there’s lots of detrimental connotation about the place issues have come from, proper? You realize, ‘do not do that. You may’t say that. No extra harassment, no extra bullying, no extra unhealthy language. No extra hazing.’,” Paul mentioned.

“There’s been lots of, ‘do not, do not, do not, do not, do not,’ and never lots of clarification of what to do, the right way to deal with folks, how sports activities ought to really feel.”

The Good Vibes Solely marketing campaign contains video messaging that encourages folks to talk up for secure sport. The primary video options outstanding Canada Video games alumni Kylie Masse, Charles Hamelin, Allison Forsyth and Woody Belfort.

Paul mentioned the Canada Video games Council has been working with Era Protected — a secure sport training group began by Olympic alpine skier Forsyth, who grew to become an advocate after dwelling by means of her personal sexual abuse within the sport system.

“To have an effect, now we have to name out maltreatment after we see it,” Forsyth mentioned in a press release. “Canada Video games members are at a key stage of their improvement and athletic journeys, and this marketing campaign will elevate their consciousness about maltreatment in sport. As a neighborhood — athletes, dad and mom, coaches, officers and directors — we loudly must count on higher and rally collectively to maintain sport secure for all.”

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Stream reside motion from the 2025 Canada Video games on CBCSports.ca, CBC Gem and the CBC Sports activities YouTube channel. Verify the broadcast schedule for full particulars.

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Due to undertaking funding from the federal authorities and Canadian Olympic Committee, Paul mentioned they’re working to “flip the tone” about secure sport. Which means utilizing constructive messaging to succeed in a brand new era of athletes on the Canada Video games.

“The Good Vibes Solely marketing campaign is precisely meant to clarify to those 5,000-plus [athletes and coaches] about how sports activities ought to really feel, the way it ought to look, the way it ought to really feel secure,” Paul mentioned.

The messaging shall be not possible to overlook for anybody competing at, attending or following the 2025 Canada Video games on-line. Paul mentioned marketing campaign movies have been posted to the Canada Video games social media channels, and snippets shall be performed in-venue throughout competitors and through each opening and shutting ceremonies.

There’s additionally a model that focuses on what function followers play in making a secure sport surroundings. The video options Canada Video games alumni Élodie Tessier and Shanice Marcelle, Canada Video games Future Official Jake Wiseman, and the dad and mom of Canada Video games alum Audrey Leduc.

“We have been lucky to obtain extra funding from the Canadian Olympic Committee and Authorities of Canada … to construct a extra tailor-made message straight to oldsters and spectators about ‘Good Vibes Solely’ and what it means whenever you’re within the stands,” Paul mentioned.

Together with a coaching program for each volunteer on the Canada Video games, efforts additionally included simplifying what had been a complicated and troublesome course of to submit a criticism.

“If there does find yourself being a secure sport criticism, the place to go may be very sophisticated, so we have constructed a web site that helps direct the complainant to the best mechanism to launch a criticism,” Paul mentioned.

The step-by-step course of gives complainants choices on who the criticism is about and can direct them on who particularly to contact to deal with their issues.

‘Extra than simply phrases’

The Canada Video games Host Society CEO, Karen Sherriffs, mentioned that St. John’s 2025 was dedicated to creating the best surroundings for athletes to flourish, and that ‘Good Vibes Solely’ is all about security, respect and inclusion.

“This marketing campaign is about extra than simply phrases, it is a name to motion. We would like each participant, from athletes to volunteers, to really feel supported, valued, and empowered to talk up,” Sherriffs mentioned in a press release. “Collectively, we’re constructing an surroundings the place solely good vibes thrive on the Video games and lengthy after.”

Paul mentioned the hope is that this marketing campaign will attain greater than these on the 2025 Video games, and that the ‘good vibes’ will keep on for years to return.

“I’ve to commend the management with 2025 for actually having dedicated to the trigger, which is utilizing our platform and our potential to construct the best kind of programming for the ’25 Video games and likewise for past,” Paul mentioned. “Our hope is what we have constructed is evergreen and shall be carried by means of 2027 in Quebec, in 2029 in New Brunswick, and so forth.”