Canada Games teams bond over wildfire worries

Smoke visible in the sky serves as an ominous reminder. Athletes at the Canada Games in St. John's are feeling the pressure as the effects of the wildfires raging in Newfoundland and Labrador force events to be moved or postponed. 

For some visiting athletes, it's the same worrisome situation back home. New Brunswick is also battling several wildfires.

The common bond between the two provinces over a worrisome situation led to an emotional moment between lacrosse teams after their game was postponed on Monday.

Box lacrosse had to move from Paradise — where an evacuation order is in place for a part of the town — to an arena in St. John's.

"There were some emotions, there was some tears, there were some hugs. And it's OK, right? It's OK to live those emotions, and we will try and listen to them," said Nicole Smith, chef de mission for Team New Brunswick.

Smith said competition turns to support for the entire community of athletes, coaches, team staff and families who are dealing with wildfires.

A spokesperson for Team New Brunswick confirmed that the parents of New Brunswick players are fundraising to pay for meals for firefighters in their host province who are battling to bring the fires under control.

We become one big happy family here, good times and bad, right? And we're all there. And I think Newfoundland, the team feels our support and our love for them," said Smith.

Meanwhile, Smith said extra mental health support is available to all athletes, including drop-in counselling services and wellness rooms. Caring for mental health is a shared concern among the team leads of all the provinces and territories.

"The chief medical officer today was telling us, you know, reminding us that those services are there for all