Ottawa one step closer to bidding for 2021 Canada Summer Games

_ (Press release) _ (August 30

th

, 2016) Ottawa – The Canada Games Council’s (CGC) 2021 Technical Review Committee (TRC) has completed site visits of the four potential Ontario communities bidding to host the 2021 Canada Summer Games. As part of Phase I for the Technical Review Phase of the 2021 bid evaluation process, the TRC visited:

-The City of Ottawa on August 22

nd

,

-The Niagara Region on August 23

rd

,

-Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph as part of a combined bid on August 25

th

,

-The City of Greater Sudbury on August 26

th

.

“The Canada Games Council is thrilled that these four communities have entered the race to become host of the 2021 Canada Summer Games,” says Tom Quinn, Chairman of the Canada Games Council. “These communities already understand the hard work it will take to produce a final bid."

After the official launch of the 2021 Bid Process in February of 2016, interested communities had until May 20th, 2016 to deliver their intent to bid and June 30

th

to submit their technical information for Phase 1 of the bid process.

“Ontario is building a reputation as a consummate sport event host and our athletes and communities are benefiting through the growing list of events in every corner of the province. Our support of the 2021 Canada Summer Games delivers on our Sport Plan to give Ontario athletes critical at-home competition experience and to bring people together, leaving lasting economic and social impacts on the host communities,” says Eleanor McMahon, Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “Hosting the 2021 Canada Summer Games is an excellent opportunity for the four bidding communities and I look forward to working with them to strengthen local networks of volunteers and leaders and build sport and recreation resources.”

During each separate site visit of Phase I this past week, the four communities met with the TRC to provide details, showcase locations and answer questions. Phase I of the technical review phase represents the first level of evaluation and is intended to identify the communities that have the quality and capacity of venues necessary to meet the standards established for the Games village and the sports that are central to the successful delivery of a Canada Games. These visits provided an opportunity for each Bid Community to expand on their written technical material and to take advantage of the opportunity to showcase their proposed Games village and venues.

“All four communities were enthusiastic to showcase their venue and Village plans,” says Chris Morrissey, Chair of the Technical Review Committee. “The Technical Review Committee was impressed by the professionalism and quality of the submissions.”

The TRC will now complete a report comprised of findings from the community’s technical review, which will be provided to the CGC Bid Evaluation Committee and the CGC Board of Directors.

Once the Technical Review Phase is complete and subject to recommendations in the report, the next step will be for the successful Phase I communities to advance to Phase II of the selection process and submit a comprehensive bid proposal to the Canada Games Bid Evaluation Committee. The deadline to submit this proposal is January 31st, 2017.

For the 2021 bid process, the Canada Games Bid Evaluation Committee will be chaired by Vice-president of Revenue Generation for the 2009 Canada Summer Games in PEI and current Canada Games Council Board Member; Wayne Carew. The Canada Games Council’s Bid Evaluation Committee will be responsible for a detailed review of bidding communities and making a recommendation on the award of the Games to the CGC’s Board of Directors on which bid can best meet the Canada Games hosting standards.

Following the detailed process, the CGC Board of Directors will notify the Province of Ontario about the final selection of the successful 2021 community. The public announcement will then be made in late March or early April of 2017 through a media event.

Having hosted the 1981 Canada Summer Games in Thunder Bay and the 2001 Canada Summer Games in London, the 2021 Canada Games will mark the third time the Canada Summer Games are hosted in the province of Ontario.

The Canada Games generate many benefits for host regions in the legacies they provide. Whether they be infrastructure improvements for the city, exposure for the region through national broadcasts and webcasts or simply through increased tourist visitations, entire communities are changed for the better after having hosted the unique premium event that is the Canada Games.