55+ Games postponed for a year
Provincial government still wants Peterborough to host the summer event next year, recommits funding
The Ontario 55+ Summer Games planned for Peterborough in August have been postponed, the province’s minister for sport announced Wednesday — but the city is being asked to host the games next year instead.
“I really want to see Peterborough host those games in 2021,” said Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries Minister Lisa MacLeod at an outdoor announcement at Trent University.
“Pending city council approval — which I believe we’re probably going to get — we are going to recommit $235,000 to the city of Peterborough to make those games happen,” MacLeod said.
The 55+ Summer Games are the provincial championships for adults aged 55 and older who have qualified in their district to compete in sports such as swimming, running, bowling and golf.
The games were planned for Aug. 11 to 13 and were expected to draw 1,400 people to Peterborough.
Peterborough applied two years ago to host the 2020 games.
At the time, the province was prepared to offer a grant of at least $210,000 to Peterborough as the host city — funding that MacLeod said the government would “recommit” if the city plays host next year.
At the announcement on Wednesday, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith said Peterborough thanked MacLeod for offering the city an opportunity to host the rescheduled games.
“If there’s something that we do well, it is hosting sports events,” Smith said. “Peterborough gets behind it, Peterborough volunteers — and we do it very, very well.”
Coun. Lesley Parnell attended the announcement as council’s chair of arenas, parks and recreation.
Parnell said that sometime in September council is expecting a city staff report about the prospect of hosting the 2021 games.
She asked whether the city could get back to the government with its answer then.
MacLeod said yes and that she will communicate with Smith about it.
Meanwhile, MacLeod also made a separate announcement at Trent University: $350,000 to the Kawarthas Northumberland regional
tourism organization (which is provincial government-funded, and operates from offices in the Chamber of Commerce building on George Street).
The funding is for the marketing of what MacLeod called “hyperlocal tourism.”
After months of asking people to stay home, MacLeod said, now the provincial government is “asking people to get out and support their local establishments” — a local ice creamery, restaurant patio or white-water rafting tour, for example.
Maybe it’s not possible to travel abroad this summer, MacLeod said, but the government wants you to remember the beauty of tourism in Ontario.
“Don’t overlook where you live.”