Northern Alberta was invited to send an “observer team” to the 1986 Games in Whitehorse to assess if they would like to join in the future. Nunavik Quebec also make an appearance and participated in some of the 17 featured sports, including badminton, basketball, cross country skiing, curling, figure skating, gymnastics, hockey, indoor soccer, Inuit Games, shooting, ski biathlon, snowshoe biathlon, snowshoeing, speed skating, triathlon, volleyball and women’s hockey.
Nuuk, Greenland and Iqaluit, Nunavut hosted the first split community, split country Games
Yellowknife, NWT brought together the circumpolar north for this edition of the games.
The eighteenth Arctic Winter Games was held in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Northern Alberta.
Alaska hosted the circumpolar competitors for this edition of the Arctic Winter Games.
Alaska brought great awareness and much promotion to this edition of the Arctic Winter Games.
