The 2012 Arctic Winter Games (AWG), coming to Whitehorse March 4-10, has a major sponsor on board.

The ATCO Group of Companies today announced its participation as a legacy sponsor of the Games.

Nancy Southern, president and CEO of the ATCO Group, said the AWG is one of the only events which represents all northern communities.

"We're such a large land, and very few population, and it's only through events like this that you can bring everybody together and you can share experiences, best practices, exchange ideas, demonstrate the competitive spirit with athleticism and showcase the artisans of the region. And I don't know any other event that brings people together like that.”

The ATCO Group, including Yukon Electrical, will be providing people, products and services to the event that will see nearly 2,000 athletes and cultural participants competing and showcasing their talents from Arctic nations around the world.

ATCO is a co-sponsor of the Games' opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the cultural showcase, which consists of a festival, performances and visual art programs allowing visitors to the Games to experience northern culture in its various forms.

Southern said it is appropriate that the sponsorship announcement came on National Aboriginal Day.

ATCO's technical support services will include 70 laptop and desktop computers to support results, logistics and administration, which will be contributed to community associations, schools and charitable organizations following the Games, she noted. Electrical support will include new transformers and energy drop equipment to provide instant messaging and complete electrical support during the Games.

"The total value of our sponsorship is around $200,000,” Southern said, adding that volunteer support from ATCO will be major.

"Many of the men and women from Yukon Electric that are here in this room today are representative of the volunteers and the tremendous community spirit that ATCO is so very proud of.”

The Arctic Winter Games is the world's largest northern multi-sport and cultural event, with participation from Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, northern Alberta, Nunavut, Nunavik, Greenland, Yamal and Sapmi.

"It is very fitting as we celebrate the cultures and traditions of our First Nations people, we have this opportunity to sign up on our commitment to the Arctic Winter Games, which represents all of the circumpolar nations of this planet. It's going to be a very exciting time in 2012,” Southern said.

"The sports and the arts that are represented at the Arctic Winter Games are really a celebration of excellence, and it is wonderful to see the people that are participants in each of the Games.”

ATCO has a history of sponsoring northern sporting events.

The company was an official sponsor of the 2010 Arctic Winter Games in Grande Prairie, Alta., the 2008 Arctic Winter Games in Yellowknife, N.W.T., the 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse and the 2004 Arctic Winter Games in Fort McMurray, Alta.

"The north is a very important part of ATCO Group's business, and we really cherish our opportunity to be able to work in the north and live in the north and have the opportunities that we have,” Southern said.

"It's wonderful to see the excellence, the dedication, that going the extra mile, that the participants bring. It's also wonderful to see people from the entire polar region come together. I know many of you will have experienced it before, while there are many similarities amongst us, the ... uniqueness of each of the circumpolar nations is really quite remarkable.”

With more than 7,000 employees and assets of approximately $10 billion, ATCO Group delivers service excellence and innovative business solutions worldwide with leading companies engaged in utilities (pipelines, natural gas and electricity transmission and distribution), energy (power generation, natural gas gathering, processing, storage and liquids extraction), structures and logistics (manufacturing, logistics and noise abatement) and technologies (business system solutions).

George Arcand, president of the 2012 Arctic Winter Games Host Society, said such sponsorship is necessary to running the event.

"Without sponsors like this, there would be no Games.”