County vote threatens events at Summer Games

Officials with Sport Alliance Ontario will be in Windsor next week to help determine which, if any, of the sporting events slated for next year’s Ontario Summer Games might be dropped.

Windsor was awarded the provincial games last month after city council agreed to underwrite the costs. The city had hoped to share the hosting responsibilities with Essex County, but county council on Wednesday voted against a proposal by Mayor Eddie Francis that would have seen the $1.3-million municipal exposure shared equally.

Francis said he was contacted Thursday by a sailing club in the county interested in getting involved. “I said, ‘Sorry guys, your town said no’,” said Francis. Triathlon and mountain biking are two others among about 22 events normally offered that are in jeopardy for the Games next August.

“We’ll fine-tune events, but some of them pose a challenge,” said Francis, adding that he informed the SAO Thursday that Windsor may not be able to host a full slate of sporting events typical of a Summer Games. Windsor did not have to bid on the 2014 Games, but only show it had the wherewithal to host them, after Niagara Falls abruptly bowed out earlier this year.

Francis said if the county wanted to share in the Games, it had to help offset some of the costs. City council actually approved a municipal exposure of $1.5 million, but Francis said local organizers are busy whittling down those costs, and he expects the current estimate of $1.3 million to be reduced further in the coming months. Much of the city’s costs are in-kind contributions, and the mayor said private and corporate contributions will further reduce the taxpayer exposure.

While “expecting” the county’s rejection, given the short notice and public statements made in advance, Francis said he was “somewhat taken aback by the tone of the discussion” during the council debate. Lakeshore Mayor Tom Bain, who is also county warden, was the only mayor to vote in favour.