If you were still wondering, there will be no NWT Track and Field Championships for 2022.

The territory鈥檚 single-largest sporting event will now not happen for the third straight year. You may be thinking it鈥檚 because of the devastating floods which enveloped the town of Hay River, the home of the championships, but it was Covid-19 which caused the call-off, same as the two years prior.

Kenzie McDonald, Athletics NWT鈥檚 acting president, said he had an idea nothing was going to happen as soon as the new year started.

鈥淭he organization usually begins in January every year but the restrictions were still in place back then,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ecause of that, there was never going to be an event. It鈥檚 frustrating, somewhat, but better safe than sorry and I pretty sure that鈥檚 what JJ (Hirst) and Tim (Borchuk) were thinking.鈥�

Hirst and Borchuk have led the steering committee for the championships in Hay River for several years.

When the championships happen, they鈥檙e used as a measuring stick for what a future Team NT could look like for major games. Problem is with no championships for a third year running, combined with little to no travel for the territory鈥檚 athletes, the job of picking a team for the 2022 Canada Summer Games in Niagara Region, Ontario this August becomes a bit tricky.

There is a solution to that problem, said McDonald, and it comes in the form of regional meets in three communities.

鈥淚鈥檓 running one in Inuvik, Yellowknife will have one organized by Rob Hart and there鈥檚 one in Fort Smith with Allie McDonald in charge,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have kids who are interested in competing and that way, we鈥檒l be able to get some measurements for Canada Summer Games. They have standards they have to achieve in order to go.鈥�

McDonald said he鈥檚 looking at early June for his met in Inuvik with three days planned.

鈥淔irst day will be the sprints and running events, second day jumping events and third day throwing,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t all depends on the turnout we get but three days is what I鈥檇 like to do.鈥�

Hart said he doesn鈥檛 have the dates planned for Yellowknife but as of now, it鈥檚 an invite-only list based off of those athletes who competed at the 2019 Western Canada Summer Games.

鈥淚鈥檓 not sure how many athletes will be keen on this,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been a few years away from track (but) I鈥檓 hoping to get a few. I鈥檓 not really sure.鈥�

There鈥檚 yet no word on when Fort Smith鈥檚 event will be held.

Even with no championships for a third straight year, McDonald is very optimistic about things coming back for 2023.

鈥淲e鈥檙e pretty much in the clear and it should get back to close to normal, barring a resurgence and a new variant which locks us all down again,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think we鈥檒l be back out there for 2023.鈥�