'We play for the honour of our ancestors': Box lacrosse is here to stay at the Canada Games

ST. JOHN'S — While the venue may have changed, box lacrosse at the Canada Games is not going anywhere.

Wildfires prompted an evacuation alert in the community of Paradise and forced the relocation of the box lacrosse competition at the 2025 Games on Tuesday. That moved the action in this year's women's tournament from the Paradise Double Ice Complex venue to the DF Barnes Arena.

After a pilot project in 2022, the sport returned for the 2025 Canada Games and was then officially added as a permanent sport on the programme. The Games are seen as an important showcase to grow Canada's national summer sport as well as Indigenous participation in the Canada Games themselves.

Council president and CEO Kelly-Ann Paul said box lacrosse is important because of its "meaningful roots in Indigenous culture."

"Its specific inclusion … is a symbol of our dedication to honouring Indigenous culture and ensuring the Games reflect the diversity of the country," Paul said. "It's a meaningful step in strengthening the cultural fabric of both the Games and our nation."

WATCH | Why Newfoundland player loves box lacrosse:

Aggressive, fun and a little chaotic: Box lacrosse at the Canada Games

Before the venue change, Kevin Sandy was operating an interactive booth where the director of the Haudenosaunee Lacrosse / Iroquois Lacrosse Program was teaching people about the origins of box lacrosse and the many "beautiful" reasons it's played.

"It's a medicine game, it's a healing game. It's a game that's used to settle disputes. We play for the honour of our ancestors," Sandy said. "There's so, so many different oral traditions and stories behind the game."

What exactly are the Canada Games?

Lacrosse Canada's technical coordinator Rachael