Sparking the Flame of Canadian Sport

The cauldron made for the P.E.I. 2023 Canada Winter Games reflects the pride and burning passion for the beloved event.

By - Jennifer Gouchie-Terris

The cauldron for the P.E.I. 2023 Canada Winter Games was made by local Charlottetown manufacturers, who wanted to showcase the level of skilled talent on Prince Edward Island. PHOTO CREDIT: Canada Games.

A brand new locally-designed and manufactured cauldron will be a highlight of the P.E.I. 2023 Canada Winter Games being held in Charlottetown from Feb. 18 – Mar. 5.

Inspired by the courage and persistence of the P.E.I. 2023 Games athletes to spark greatness, the one-of-a-kind cauldron will house the flame that will ignite the spirit of Canadian sport throughout the event. 

The 10-foot-high cauldron was conceptually designed by Vancouver-based company Sholto Design Studio with support from Indigenous artist, Randall Bear Barnetson, and marketing firm, Will Creative. Built from stainless steel, the cauldron was fabricated locally by Charlottetown Metal Products (CMP), at their manufacturing facility in P.E.I.

A CAULDRON BRIMMING WITH CANADIAN SPIRIT

Three overarching themes ultimately inspired the design of the cauldron: the challenges we face that help define greatness; the support received from others that enriches the entire community; and sparking greatness through the perpetual amplification of inspiration.

Guided by these main themes, the cauldron was realized through two of its physical forms: shape and texture. They looked at several versions but ended up choosing a mobius strip ꟷ a mathematical object with a non-orientable surface that can be formed by attaching the ends of a strip of paper together with a half twist.

The circular design of the cauldron’s mobius ring intends to evoke this idea of perpetual inspiration and connection that has fueled athletes and the P.E.I. 2023 Games since its inception over half a century ago.

“We wanted to make sure the form showed how everyone in Canada is connected,” says Sholto Scruton, owner of Sholto Design Studio. “We knew that it had to be something that represented all of Canada and all Canadians without preferencing a single group.”

Having worked on similar projects in the past, Scruton was invited to submit a proposal for the design of the cauldron, which started with a list of product requirements and measurable results. He asked for input from the team on what they hoped to accomplish through the design, and most expressed a desire to see themselves reflected in it.

“What we felt over and over again was the idea of Canadians coming together and supporting an individual that, in turn, inspired themselves to go on and do great things,’’ Scruton continues. “It’s really this activity that happens every two years that draws all of these people together to create a space where everybody needs to confront the barriers on their way to get what they want, and once they overcome that, they realize how much potential they have.’’

The connection between Canadians and nature is also represented in the design through the addition of flora. The gold flora elements on the cauldron connects diverse identities across Canada by integrating local plants unique to specific regions, reminding us of the land we share.

These flora elements also have deep roots within Indigenous culture; symbolizing healing, generosity, resilience and inclusivity ꟷ characteristics that also shine in the P.E.I. 2023 Games’ athletes.

“What we tried to do was look for flora that really represented Canadians fully, that everyone in Canada could look at this flora and have some personal connection with it,’’ says Scruton.

They ultimately chose four groups; including black spruce, sweet grass, red cedar, and silver birch, which also represents the four colors in the Indigenous medicine wheel.

For the flame, Scruton considered using hydrogen, natural gas or an artificial flame using water vapour and light, but ultimately decided on propane because of its availability. He hopes the cauldron instills a sense of pride among Canadians as well as pride in themselves.

“It’s less about a collective group feeling something, and more about making athletes and volunteers feel really important,” he says. “It’s also different in that its perpetual nature really shows.’’

Scruton and his family will travel to the Island to witness first-hand the official lighting of the cauldron. He feels honored to have been able to work on such an important project.

“I’m personally very invested in this and very proud of it but also really thankful that I get to do something that impacts other Canadians in such a big way,” he says.

The cauldron for the P.E.I. 2023 Canada Winter Games is accented by golden details that is inspired by the athletes, Canada’s flora and Indigenous symbolism. PHOTO CREDIT: Canada Games.

A CAULDRON BUILT WITH PRIDE

CMP project manager Alex Gamble says a lot of attention went into the details and overall fabrication of the cauldron; including planning and testing, developing designs for the customer and incorporating the visions of the design.

Admittedly, it was a tedious process and a new challenge for the company.

“It’s a different project for us, pretty unique from what we usually do,” Gamble reveals. “The concept itself is a ring shape with an integrated burner for the propane. So, integrating that was a bit of a challenge, as was having the physical sheet metal components meet the shape and intent of the design.”

Taking the concept and transforming it into something that could be manufacturable was the biggest challenge but overall, he says it was a fairly straight forward project.

“We put our best fabrication team on it and there’s been a lot of time and effort on their side as well. They’re pretty proud of the work they’ve accomplished. It was a nice challenge for us from a fabrication standpoint.’’

Although CMP is involved with a lot of projects locally and globally, Gamble says it’s nice to have a direct impact on the community and be able to bring a design and concept like this to the P.E.I. 2023 Games.

“It’s something that’s been in the works for the past several months, so we’re looking forward to showcasing it at the official lighting ceremony and seeing it lit,” he says.

Scruton praised the work of CMP and felt that the cauldron being locally-manufactured would have a significant impact on the beloved event.

“I’d prefer that it’s done locally in the town where it starts out at and the people that are building it can do it with pride and see it,” he says.

NECESSITY SPARKS INNOVATION

After realizing a couple years ago that they weren’t going to inherit the cauldron from the previous Games, Adam Clark, director of capital projects and venues with the 2023 Canada Winter Games Host Society, volunteered to find a local firm interested in manufacturing the new cauldron for the P.E.I. 2023 Games

“It’s important to the society that we are providing a positive local economic impact,” says Clark. “And we do have a lot of world-class businesses on P.E.I., so we’re pretty proud that we’ve had one step-up to manufacture this cauldron that can be passed on to future host societies as well.”

The P.E.I. 2023 Games worked closely with the manufacturer, local mechanical engineers and a gas specialist to achieve the best possible results. Clark is very proud of the fact it was manufactured in P.E.I. and that it is going to move on to future P.E.I. 2023 Games – the next of which is being held in Newfoundland in 2025.

“It will always be a made in P.E.I. product and will live with the host societies,’’ he proudly shares.

The cauldron will be on display throughout the P.E.I. 2023 Games at the main festival site located at Founders’ Food Hall & Market in Charlottetown.