The Kings' Relay Baton: Now a Canadian tradition

By Gazette Staff

April 29th, 2026

BURLINGTON, ON

The 2026 Commonwealth will take place in Glasgow this year.  Canada, being a part of the Commonwealth, will participate.  A traditional part of the Games is to have a baton created by each country that is used in a relay in the country and transported to Glasgow where they will be received by King Charles III.

Few Canadians know that the very first Commonwealth Games took place in Hamilton in 1930.  The inaugural Games were then called the British Empire Games.

The athletes’ village was the Prince of Wales School next to the Civic Stadium, where the competitors slept two dozen to a classroom.

Eleven countries sent a total of 400 athletes. Women competed in only the swimming events.

The participant nations were Australia, Bermuda, British Guyana, Canada, England, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa and Wales.

The Hamilton Games featured six sports: athletics, boxing, lawn bowls, rowing, swimming and diving and wrestling and ran at a cost of $97,973.00.

The Canadian baton will end up in Glasgow for the start of the 2026 Games

Although its origins remain unclear, it is believed that the idea for a Commonwealth baton relay was conceived during the late 1950s by the Games Organizing Committee.

The story behind the Canadian baton that will be presented to the King .

Painting Rationale: Water is Life. It literally harbors the life that sustains us every single day. It permeates every aspect of life on Earth and without it, we simply would not exist. The Indigenous peoples of

Turtle Island (North America) have always known and respected this. Globally, we must change our relationship with the water because without water, we are little more than dust.

Each of the 74 countries taking part in the 2026 Commonwealth Games has crafted a baton that will, in some cases be part of a relay that takes place.

Canada is a very wide country, so the Canadian relay will be more commemorative than real.  At the ceremonial event in Burlington on May 6th at the Gazebo in Spencer Smith Park students will run short distances.

The Canadian baton that will arrive in Glasgow and be presented to the King at the opening of the 2026 Commonwealth Games. 

Background to the thinking that went into the crafting of the baton:

First Nations:  In Canada, the water connects everything and everyone.  The First People of Turtle Island mastered river navigation, but with widely fluctuating terrain, respect was paramount to survival, as heaving rapids could quickly end an expedition.

This painted story punctuates the impressive canoe skills of Indigenous people who helped European newcomers to navigate and map an entire country using the waters that have always connect us. The impressive birch bark canoe was a staple among communities. It was sturdy, reliable, and well made. , From the great cedar Canoes of the west coast to the birchbark canoes of the east, this invaluable tool was a vital component of daily life.

Inuit: The Inuit have always lived in the North. Most of the animals they needed to survive live in or near the ocean.  For hunting and travel, hunters needed transportation that was well adapted to their needs. The engineered the “Kayak” (Kayak).  This highly efficient water vehicle was quick, required minimal supplies to make and was beautifully waterproof, which allowed hunters to manage the intense winds that blow across northern waters.

Younger people learned from older and more experienced paddlers for many years before paddling their own kayak. They would practice paddling by the shoreline and would later became assistants to experienced hunters. Races were a way to hone skills and develop techniques and the paddle strength that could keep a hunter out of harm’s way.

Metis:  Across the country, the Metis relationship with water is one of deep spirituality viewed not as a commodity but as a sacred, living entity that is essential to all life, community well-being, and identity. The beautiful flower bead patterns used in Metis art and clothing design echoes the important relationship the Metis people have with the plant world. Clean water is essential to ensuring that the plant medicines needed for the people continue to grow and provide the same care that has sustained them since the first Europeans came across the ocean. Historically, Métis voyageurs were an integral part of linking communities together through the fur trade as they travelled, traded and became interpreters.

nibi onje biimaadiiziiwin – water is life – everything alive on the only home we’ve ever known, water is life. water connects us, feeds us, quiets our thirst and it cradles us when we seek grace in a struggling world. this Ojibway phrase in all languages has become a battle cry to fight for the water that gives us all life. the health of the water mirrors the health of humanity. ginawaydaganuc – we are all connected