Skip to content

City bids for sports event that cost us $200,000 sixteen years ago

Egged on by somebody in a polar bear suit, your intrepid city councillors decided last night to support a Sault bid for the 2018 Ontario Winter Games. Sixteen years ago, the city lost its shirt hosting the same multi-sport event.
image
Ian McMillan, executive director of Tourism Sault Ste. Marie, appeared at last night's City Council meeting with Blizzard, official mascot of our 2018 Ontario Winter Games bid. McMillan is the one wearing pants.

The 2016 Ontario Winter Games didn't happen this year.

That's because no municipality was interested in hosting the biennial multi-sport event.

Sixteen years ago, Sault Ste. Marie forfeited $200,000 in taxpayers' dollars when the money-losing 2000 Ontario Winter Games were held here.

But last night, encouraged by somebody in a polar bear suit (see photo), your city councillors fearlessly agreed to support a Sault bid for the 2018 Ontario Winter Games, this time authorizing a city contribution of $150,000.

"We're going to bid to host the 2018 Ontario Winter Games here in Sault Ste. Marie," said Ian McMillan, executive director of Tourism Sault Ste. Marie.

The deadline for bids is Wednesday and the Sault's bid document, all 100 pages of it, will go out the door today.

At first, there were four prospective host cities: Thunder Bay, Orillia, Ottawa and the Sault.

Thunder Bay and Ottawa are believed to have withdrawn, so the list has now narrowed to Sault Ste. Marie and Orillia, McMillan told SooToday after last night's presentation.

McMillan was quick to assure everyone that the 2018 games won't be a money pit like the 2000 event.

The giant event has been completely retooled since the Sports Alliance of Ontario threw in the towel last year.

The games have since been picked up by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

This time, there's a $900,000 hosting grant, compared to just $400,000 in 2000.

And there's a $100,000 contingency/legacy fund.

"The change in funding came after host communities experienced deficits and no longer expressed interest in bidding to host," states a fact sheet prepared for the Sault's 2018 bid.

The Sault's bid proposal will include 24 sports to be held at 17 venues:

  • John Rhodes Community Centre (figure skating, sledge hockey, synchronized swimming)
  • Pee Wee Arena (men's hockey)
  • McMeeken Arena (ringette)
  • Essar Centre (speed skating)
  • Rankin Arena (women's hockey)
  • Community First Curling Centre (curling)
  • Searchmont Resort (alpine, freestyle skiing, para alpine, snowboarding)
  • White Pines Collegiate and Vocational School (badminton)
  • Algoma University (wrestling)
  • Korah Collegiate (tae kwon do)
  • Sault College (volleyball)
  • YMCA (squash)
  • The Tech (air rifle)
  • St. Mary's College (wheelchair basketball)
  • Superior Heights Collegiate and Vocational School (volleyball)
  • Alexander Henry High School (kickboxing)
  • St. Basil Secondary School (table tennis)

McMillan says the 900-plus volunteers needed to run the games will be recruited from local sports organizing bodies.

Among other benefits, hosting the 2018 games would breathe new life into the Sault Sports Council, an organization that has largely gone dormant.

And if the Sault manages these games well, up to $100,000 would be available for a legacy project.

McMillan is proposing that could provide a new multi-purpose floor for the Community First Curling Centre, or an upgrade of rink boards at the Rhodes Centre, making that venue appropriate for sledge hockey.

"In both cases this would continue to make Sault Ste. Marie a desirable location for provincial and national sporting events," says the bid fact sheet.

In the case of the Northern Community Centre the new floor would allow the facility to host trade shows and conventions.

Games organizers will pay full rental rates for use of the area venues.

The 2018 event is expected to attract between 2,700 and 3,500 participating athletes, coaches and support staff over four days, as well as 500 or 600 family and friends.

Needing to quickly secure a 2018 host to kick-start the retooled winter games, the province approached City of Sault Ste. Marie officials two months ago at the Sports Events Congress in Ottawa.

"There've been a lot of changes to the event, how it's organized and financed, that I think will make this a much easier event for us to host in our city," McMillan said.

"They recognized that over the last few years it was getting more difficult for communities to put on the games and not lose money doing them."

"Hence the changes you see in the budget . . . They understood that they needed to come to the table with a much better offer for communities."

"It's automatically put half a million dollars more from the province on the table to help the operation of the games."

"In Sault Ste. Marie, we're very fortunate here that we have past models — the Brier, CARHA [Hockey World Cup] to the Telus Cup."

"It's not a lot different putting on these games, budget-wise, than it is for some of the other events that we've had years of expertise in doing. When I say that we've budgeted conservatively, I can say that with great confidence."

Visits to the prospective host cities will take place from June 17 to 21.

On June 27, the site review committee will recommend a host community to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

The winning municipality will be advised on June 30 and a formal announcement will be made in July.

Final selection is subject to approval from Michael Couteau, minister of tourism, culture and sport.

The Ontario Winter Games will take place March 1-4, 2018.


What's next?


If you would like to apply to become a Verified reader Verified Commenter, please fill out this form.




David Helwig

About the Author: David Helwig

David Helwig's journalism career spans seven decades beginning in the 1960s. His work has been recognized with national and international awards.
Read more