Whirlwind tour for Games bid
Big day for Niagara’s bid committee in effort to land 2021 event
They came, they saw — and they will ultimately decide.
The Canada Games Council’s bid evaluation committee made a whirlwind tour of Niagara Wednesday that included stops at Scotiabank Convention Centre, Brock University, First Ontario Performing Arts Centre and Meridian Centre.
It is all part of Niagara’s push to host the 2021 Canada Summer Games.
“There are very specific hosting standards we have developed over the last 50 years,” said Wayne Carew, chairman of the Canada Games Selection Committee. “There are specific things that we are looking for and things that we have to see on paper.
“But it’s also important we hear the people from the people that are going to deliver the Games. Paper is paper, but people are unique.”
Three other Ontario regions — Ottawa, Sudbury and Kitchener Waterloo-Cambridge — have also submitted bids to host the Games. The evaluation committee is visiting the four regions on consecutive days this week, including Sudbury on Monday, Kitchen-Waterloo Tuesday and Ottawa today.
“We are looking to see if the people have thought all of it through,” Carew said. “It’s one thing to put on paper that you are going to raise $30 million, but how are you going to do it?
“How are you going to move the athletes around? How are you going to feed them? What will the athletic experience be like?
“It’s important to remember that this is about the athletes. It’s not about the organizing committees; it’s not about the Canada Games Council.
“It’s about the experience for thousands of potential Olympians and professional athletes. Sidney Crosby competed in the Canada Games. So did Catriona LeMay Doan, who is on the evaluation committee.
“The host community will get a chance to see Canada’s Olympians and future pro athletes before they are famous.”
The day started at Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls where Niagara’s politicians welcomed the bid evaluation committee.
From there, the committee was spirited over to Brock University, which would serve as the athlete’s village and host some of the competitions.
The tour then headed to downtown St. Catharines to visit First-Ontario Performing Arts Centre, the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, and Meridian Centre.
The stop at the performing arts centre featured a half-hour show which was a sneak peak at what the opening ceremonies would look like.
At the school of performing arts, the committee saw a number presentations on different aspects of the bid. The day ended with a ceremony at Meridian Centre, which would play host to opening and closing ceremonies.
“After we finish, we will convene in Ottawa starting on Friday to review all of our initial scoring and our impressions of the people we met,” Carew said. “When we are done that, we will make a recommendation to the board.”
The Canada Games Council will announce its decision in Toronto on March 30.
“It’s not fair of me to compare the bids,” Carew said. “The reality is all four communities would probably do a great job of putting on the games. It is important that we are very thorough and detailed in making sure we talk to the people who are going to take this franchise and deliver it for Ontario and all of Canada.”
Niagara’s bid committee has spent nearly two years and thousands of hours in planning the bid. A 200page comprehensive proposal was submitted Jan. 30.
“There are a lot of moving parts to something like today,” Doug Hamilton, chairman of Niagara’s bid committee, said during Wednesday’s regional showcase. “We introduced them to our community, our venues and our businesses as well as showed them the support we have.
“For us, it is sort of like a sporting event. We spent hours and days preparing — and when it finally arrived — we were just relieved to get going.
“We are excited about having the opportunity to showcase all we have to offer.”
A successful bid would bring about 5,600 young athletes and their coaches to Niagara in 2021.
Familiar names from past Games include Crosby, Le May Doan, Steve Nash, Eugenie Bouchard, Russell Martin and Niagara’s Mike Strange.
The athletes would compete in 17 events over 18 days and attract between 20,000 to 30,000 visitors to the area.
The bid committee estimates the event could generate more than $200 million in economic benefits.
The provincial, federal and regional levels of government have pledged more than $30 million combined if Niagara’s bid is successful. Addition funding from the Canada Games Council also flows to the host community.
Events would take place in all of Niagara’s municipalities over the three-week duration of the Games. bsawchuk@postmedia.com