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The Rock bids Games a rocking goodbye
And if it was possible, the closing ceremonies were more fun than the opening. A kitchen party for more than 5,000 people was held on the floor of the Canada Games Centre and the house rocked.
The athletes were praised for their determination and fair play by all the dignitaries to speak at the closing.
"The true focus of the Canada Winter Games is the athletes, and all of you have something to be proud of," Newfoundland Premier Brian Tobin told the athletes.
London and area athletes also endorsed the Games and the people of western Newfoundland who staged them.
"The whole Games experience was great. It was the best experience of my life," said Sarnia goaltender Katie Germain, who won a gold medal the night before with the women's hockey team. "We're on a cloud right now."
Sarnia weightlifter Kara Yessie, who won a bronze medal, said the closing ceremonies were "awesome. Everyone here is really friendly."
Silver-medal speed skater Christine Nesbitt of London couldn't get over how the spectators cheered all of the athletes at the Games. "Newfoundlanders are really nice. They encourage everyone. It's just a really good experience."
Londoner Paul Bowes, a member of the Games wheelchair basketball technical committee who is also putting together a junior national team, said the fan support at his site was tremendous.
"We were at capacity for every game," said Bowes, who coaches the London Flyers wheelchair basketball team.
London and region's 24 athletes are bringing home a large medal haul -- 15 gold, three silver and three bronze. Six of the 15 gold medals were won by players on the women's hockey team.
The local athletes helped Ontario to win the Canada Games flag -- awarded to the province that accumulates the most points during competition -- for the 10th time in a row. Ontario has only lost the flag three times in 17 Games.
During the 14 days of competition in 21 sports, Ontario won 117 medals -- 44 gold, 37 silver and 36 bronze. Quebec finished with 109 medals overall, but beat Ontario in gold medals with 48.
While Ontario won the flag and the medal count, Quebec's victory in the gold-medal tally was satisfying to the province's mission staff.
"The number of gold medals tells us how we're developing," said Caroline Bujold, a Quebec mission staff member. "But we are behind Ontario in silver and bronze. They are a consistent province and they get in front of us."
Bujold said Quebec does particularly well in winter sports, as is also the case at the Winter Olympics, where many of Canada's medals usually come from Quebec athletes.
"Weather conditions help us," she said. "We receive lots of snow there, so athletes can train in good conditions. Hockey, skiing and figure skating are traditional sports where we start (competitors) very young."
The weather conditions weren't so great for the athletes in western Newfoundland. While the first week of the Games saw lots of snow and cold temperatures, last week was mild and rainy.
Organizers tried numerous times to run the long-track speed skating at the temporary oval built in Pasadena, just outside Corner Brook, but it never got cold enough to freeze the rink.
All of the speed skating events there were cancelled for the final time yesterday morning.
There were also cancellations and delays in alpine skiing at Marble Mountain last week, but all of those events were eventually run.
Other awards given out at the closing ceremonies yesterday included the Jack Pelech award given to Newfoundland and Labrador for best combined performance with good sportsmanship, co-operation and friendship.
Newfoundland also had its best showing at these Games, collecting 19 medals, seven more than its previous record.
Manitoba won the Centennial Cup for showing the greatest improvement in final standings. The province won 26 medals.