Successful Winter Games add revenue to sports programs

Thunder Bay - City Council unanimously approved a legacy plan that will put the $223,000 surplus from the 2024 Ontario Winter Games into three sports-related projects and set aside funds for future sporting events.

The city received $1.5 million in provincial funding for hosting the Winter Games, with the condition that $100,000 be spent on sports legacy projects.

So, Games Organizing Committee (GOC) chair Barry Streib recommended to Council:

• $15,000 to PRO Kids
• $10,000 to Special Olympics Thunder Bay
• $75,000 to the city's Community, Youth and Cultural Funding Program (CYCFP) for community organizations to use for sports development projects.

The remaining $123,000 will be set aside as an event hosting reserve for bidding on, hosting, and supporting future major sporting events, multi-sport games, and other significant events.

According to Paul Burke, manager of sports and community development, the Winter Games had a $5.6 million economic impact on the local economy.

According to Burke, the city contributed $250,000, plus another $50,000 for services.

Councillor Rajni Agarwal asked whether the city would see a return on investment.

Burke said the city's contribution "ultimately leveraged" $1.9 million in other grants.

Burke said, "The legacy that comes out of it is the profit from the event."

Councillor Michael Zussino asked if the committee was considering bidding on future sporting events.

Burke said the multi-sport games management advisory committee has been looking at summer events; however, since the city has built a "strong reputation as a winter games host," Thunder Bay is more likely to win bids for winter events.

"The other thing with winter is that there aren't as many cities and communities that participate in winter events. So, sometimes it's easier to be successful in winter events," Burke said.

Zussino also asked the committee about the challenges of hosting the Winter Games.

Burke said most athletes come from southern Ontario, and when they travel, most of them drive.

"This is an event where the GTA comes to Thunder Bay. So, from a travel perspective, getting that many athletes here is a challenge for us," Burke said.

However, one big challenge for the Winter Games was the lack of snow.

"In the days before the cross-country events started, we had people out with shovels spreading snow on the trails, and we had people driving snowmobiles into the bush to bring snow back to the trails," Burke said.

However,before the games began, several sports, including snowboarding and alpine skiing, pulled out due to travel costs and lack of flights to Thunder Bay.

Councillor Andrew Foulds said he was annoyed that many sports organizations decided to pull out.

"We deserve to compete just as much as southern Ontario, and I'm a bit annoyed at some of the discrimination against Thunder Bay," Foulds said.

He asked what Thunder Bay needs to do to prove to southern Ontario that "we're not a second-rate host city, and we can host just as good of games."

Burke said sports organizations need to realize that they need to give five months' notice about "who the athletes are and where they come from."

However, he also said the problem with five months' notice is that some athletes are still trying to qualify three weeks before the games.

"We don't know if they're from Toronto, Windsor, Ottawa, we don't know. Fair enough, airlines can't send or receive planes without notice. So, we really need to tell Ontario and all provincial sports organizations that if you're coming to Thunder Bay, it has to be different," Burke said.

Source:  https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/successful-winter-games-adds-revenue-for-sport-programs-10225330