St. John's 1977

In 1977, Newfoundland and Labrador welcomed Canada to St. John’s for the sixth iteration of the Canada Games. Over the course of 13 days, the 1977 Summer Games welcomed athletes, coaches and managers to St. John’s to compete at the highest level in a variety of sports.

The 1977 Games were filled with firsts for the province, including the first time they hosted the event. Gordon Follett Jr. became the first Newfoundland and Labrador athlete to win an individual medal in any Summer Games.

Playing in front of their home crowd, Team NL took home the Centennial Cup as the most improved team at the Games, improving on their overall point totals by accumulating 60 points in the final standings against their 36.5 points in the previous Summer Games.

Volunteerism and improvements to infrastructure are all a part of the legacy that continues to live on in St John’s. More than 6,000 volunteers came together and worked towards a common goal, to ensure that the Games were a success. This strong investment by the community guaranteed that goal came true. Residents of Newfoundland and Labrador were left with new and improved facilities to enjoy, which included a new pool complex, an all-weather track at Canada Games Park and an upgraded 11,000-seat stadium that provides residents and athletes a place to train and compete.