The Arctic Winter Games (AWG) has a new addition to this year's opening ceremonies.

For the first time in the 42-year history of the Games, there will be relay preceding the event, but it won't be in the traditional form of a flame, torch, or baton.

Instead it comes in a box, a musical kit that features audio and video footage from each of the competing nations and territories.

After traveling over 20,000 kilometres around the circumpolar north, the box returned to the Yukon yesterday afternoon at the Air North hangar.

It's a unique celebration for a unique event, said one of the original composers of the song, Daniel Ashley of the local band Root Sellers.

"We wanted to do something to build awareness of the Games but we wanted to do something different because there is so much geography that separates the regions,” he said. "So we came up with an idea that would allow each region to showcase their place in the north and also show some of our similarities.”

George Arcand, the AWG Host Society President, was on hand to accept the box.

"Now it's our turn to showcase the sights, sounds and culture of the Yukon and share the Games energy with the communities,” he said.

Over the past 10 months, the song has made its way across Alaska, Yamalia, Finland, Greenland, Nunavut, Nunavik, Northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

For the next three weeks Pam Boyde and Joyce Sward, chair and vice-chair of the theme song relay committee, will bring the kit to each community in the territory.

"It began its journey last March and now that it's officially back in the Yukon I'll start taking it around to every community,” said Boyde.

She will be hitting the road on Sunday morning with Watson Lake marked as the first destination.

Boyde said the AWG committee has been in contact with communities to help brainstorm ideas, whether it's footage of surrounding scenery, local songs and art, or unique expressions of what represents the area.

"Anything that captures the essence of the community,” she said.

Ashley said the process of putting together the song framework and sending it abroad was the"the opportunity of a lifetime.”

"To have the unique ability to showcase all the different areas of the North and put them into one piece that everyone will get to see is great,” he said.

The Roots Sellers are not unfamiliar with composing music for high-level competitions.

They produced the music for the Paralympics in Vancouver and are also part of the Olympic contingent for the Yukon.

"There's always a huge cultural component to any Games and the sporting aspect is fantastic because it promotes a healthy lifestyle,” he said. "To combine that with all the positive aspects that we get from community building and culture, it's just a really powerful force.”

Ashley said the audio and video contributions he has seen so far have been extremely powerful.

"One of the highlights came from Russia,” he said. "They cut this awesome video and translated the lyrics into Russian. We also got a fantastic submission from Greenland.”

When the initial concept came to fruition, Boyde said they had no idea what to expect but with each submission she sees, she is further impressed.

"It's so exciting to see what we have already,” she said. "I think we are going to blow people's minds at the opening ceremonies when we unveil the final product.”