ST JOHN'S - Team Ontario swimmer Isabella Cooper got the Canada Games off to a record smashing start while Gavin Baggs gave the hosts reason to celebrate taking silver to the approval of boisterous crowd at The Works Aquarena on Sunday to claim Newfoundland and Labrador's first medal.

The opening race of the day the Games could not have gotten off to a more explosive start than the fireworks provided by Cooper, who got to the wall first in the women's 1,500 metres freestyle in a time of 16 minutes 58.19 seconds slashing more than five seconds off the old mark of 17:03.68.

Alberta's Elleigh Wise took the early initiative leading through the midway point of the gruelling event before Cooper made her move powering to the front and then steadily pulling away from the pack.

Wise would finish almost six seconds adrift but would hang on to grab the silver ahead of British Columbia's Naomi Mynott.

The 1500m is only the start of a busy and ambitious Summer Games for Cooper who has a Summer McIntosh-style program planned swimming in seven individual events.

"That (the record) was one of my main focuses coming in," said Cooper. "I just worked hard every practice and tried to remain focused and tried to race how my coach and I talked about.

"The biggest issues is going to be getting enough food and enough rest because I know some rooms and hallways (in the dorm) are a bit busier.

"The main goal is to just to have a great experience and learn from all this and hopefully get medals."

Perhaps no athlete competing in St. John's has a more unique and audacious Canada Games to do list than Baggs who will be splitting his time between the pool and the track.

Having snatched a silver in the 400m freestyle men's para Baggs will compete in four more events at the pool before turning his attention to para-athletics where he will race in the 100, 400 and 1,500m

If that wasn't enough to keep Baggs busy he is also a member of Canada's men's national para-hockey team and hopes to be on the squad for next year's Milano/Cortina  Paralympics.

Competing in his fourth Canada Games and still chasing a first medal Baggs admitted to feeling pressure to get the job done at home but with the raucous support of the crowd finally stepped onto the podium taking the silver behind Team British Columbia's Ken Stroud.

"I absolutely felt the pressure, I want to give the hometown fans something to cheer for I want to give them a medal and at the end of the day I got it," said Baggs, who competed in his first Canada Games when he was just 11 years old.

As expected Team Ontario dominated in the pool taking half of the six gold medals on offer.

Adding to the Team Ontario haul was the women's 4x200m relay team and Alyssa Smyth touching first in the women's 400m freestyle para.

Team Quebec got golden performances from Oliver Blanchard in men's 800m freestyle and the 4x200m men's relay.

In other action, over in Paradise at Beach Volleyball, Nunavut's Benjamin Alivaktuk and Mathieu Baillargeon played together for just the first time and having never before played on actual sand.

In their opening match Alivaktuk and Baillargeon were swept aside in straight sets 21-1 21-5 by Team New Brunswick but then made the Northwest Territories dig deep for a 21-17  21-19 victory.

Nunavut also displayed plenty of northern grit on the hardwood with both men's and women's teams making their Canada Games debut against Team Yukon.

The men dropped a 77-55 decision to their northern rivals while the women fell 66-42.

Over on the baseball diamonds, Team Ontario's gold medal defence got off to a wobbly start shutout 11-0 by Team Quebec while Team Alberta, silver medal winners three years ago, also stumbled out of the gate falling 8-1 to Saskatchewan.

There were no such hiccups for Newfoundland and Labrador, who opened their account with a 9-7 victory over Manitoba.

STARTING LINEUP

Here's what you need to know about the Canada Games on Monday:

CANOE/KAYAK (Quidi Vidi Lake)

Canada's Secretary of State (Sport) Adam van Koeverden, who is also an Olympic gold medalist in the kayak, will be one of the interested spectators on Monday as the canoe and kayak competition gets underway at Quidi Vidi Lake. Included in the field is Olympian Jonnie Newman. At the Paris Olympics Newman competed in artistic swimming finishing sixth in the team competition but on Monday will be lining up in the K1 500 metres.

TENNIS (Rogers Tennis Dome at Green Belt)

Team Newfoundland and Labrador's Declan Walsh, who lit the flame in Ottawa to start the Canada Games torch relay will hope for an equally bright start to his competition when he takes to the Rogers Tennis Dome courts for his opening match.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL (Paradise Park)

Madelyn Tomyn, who is representing Prince Edward Island in both beach and indoor volleyball at the Canada Games looks to continue her undefeated run on the Paradise Park sand with her partner Monica Gollaher.

RUGBY SEVENS (Swilers Rugby Club)

The rough and tumble sevens action gets underway with a full slate of 32 men's and women's games at Swilers Rugby Club. British Columbia and Newfoundland get things started with an intriguing women's clash before Team Yukon men and women take to the pitch for their first ever Canada Games matches.

HOOP DREAMS (Newfoundland & Labrador Sports Centre, The Works Field House)

Team Ontario, gold medal champions the last four Canada Games and looking for a fifth straight, launch their campaign against Team Quebec.

CYCLING ROAD (Team Gushue Highway)

It will be a golden day on the roads as cyclists take over the Team Gushue Highway for the men's and women's time trial with para-cycling joining the Canada Games program for the first time.

SWIMMING (The Works - Aquarena)

It will be a golden evening at the The Works Aquarena with 15 gold medals on offer.