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Museums, well depending on the museum, are typically quiet places to go. That was not the case on Wednesday evening as the Canada Winter Games athletes and their coaches took over the third floor of the MacBride Museum to celebrate with a pep rally before they head off to the Games.

The Games will be held in Red Deer, Alta. It features 19 sports, over 150 events, and a major arts and cultural festival.

The games will welcome 3,600 athletes, including 150 Yukon competitors, as well, more than 20,000 visitors will converge on Red Deer.

As the rally officially began, all the athletes and coaches, adorned in their grey and purple sweaters, took their seats as minister of highways and public works and minister of the public service commission, Richard Mostyn, stepped to the podium to announce the Yukon鈥檚 flag bearer.

鈥淥ur flag bearer for the Yukon is 16 years old and was born and raised in the territory,鈥� said Mostyn during his speech.

鈥淗e started playing hockey when he was eight years old. I鈥檓 told that he hated the sport. But that changed when he scored his first goal in the last game of the season.

鈥淗e played competitive hockey in Whitehorse for six-years and then moved down to Abbotsford to play in the Yale Hockey Academy. He has also played with team North at the National Aboriginal Hockey Champions in Nova Scotia.

He is excited to join some of his old teammates in Alberta. I want to congratulate Kyron Crosby.鈥�

Crosby sat in his seat with a sheepish grin on his face as his teammates patted him on the back and called for him to make a speech - he did not go to the podium.

Crosby said being announced as the flag bearer came as a surprise.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know it was going to happen but it will be pretty cool walking out with the flag at the Games,鈥� said Crosby.

For Crosby, this will be his first national event. He is looking forward to the challenge ahead and likes the teams chances.

鈥淲e have a pretty strong group,鈥� said Crosby. 鈥淲e have a couple younger players then me and a couple others are older so we will add some depth. Honestly, I鈥檝e never been to one (Games) before, everything will be a first time, I鈥檓 really looking forward to it.鈥�

During the rally, different games were set up around the hall. Archer Vincent Menard, was watching athletes move cereal from one bowl to another with chopsticks. He will be attending his first national full venue event. He has competed in archery nationals.

He said he is not feeling nervous but rather excited about competing against the best archers in the country.

鈥淚鈥檓 really excited, it鈥檚 the first time I鈥檓 doing that,鈥� said Menard. 鈥淚鈥檝e seen the other athletes, and it鈥檚 not my purpose to win, I want to see how other people shoot and beat my personal record.鈥�

The opportunity to represent the Yukon is a great feeling for Menard.

鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome, I love it,鈥� said Menard with a smile. 鈥淭here is always people asking me 鈥榟ow is it to be in the Yukon?鈥�

Well it鈥檚 awesome, it鈥檚 the Yukon. There is not a lot of people here. I couldn鈥檛 do this if I was in Ontario. I鈥檓 really lucky to be doing that, it鈥檚 really awesome to be representing the Yukon.鈥�

Gymnast Bianca Berko-Malvasio is excited about the prospect of competing at such a large event.

鈥淚t feels pretty good to go somewhere so big, to be part of something so big,鈥� said Berko-Malvasio. 鈥淓specially representing the Yukon, it feels pretty cool.鈥�

Berko-Malvasio said seeing all the other athletes has got her feeling 鈥減retty pumped up鈥� for the competition.

Wynne Anderson-Lindsay is the goalie for the female hockey team and will be attending her first Games.

鈥淚t means a lot to go places and meet new people and then get to represent my sport and my territory,鈥� said Anderson-Lindsay.

While at the Games Anderson-Lindsay plans on taking in some of the other sports.

鈥淎 lot of my friends are going so I am going to watch the badminton and figure skating,鈥� she said.

Crosby will lead the Yukon athletes during the opening ceremony which takes place on Friday.