It’s no stretch to say that Waterloo Region will never host the Olympic Games, Pan Am Games, Commonwealth Games, or any other major sporting event of that stature.
So to hear the people behind a bid to bring the Canada Summer Games to the region in 2021 tell it, that sports event may be the biggest one we’ll ever see.
“This is a great chance for our community to shine on the Canadian stage,” says Tim Jackson, a member of the committee putting together Waterloo Region’s bid.
The games are held every two years, typically during the first half of August.
They rotate between Canada’s 10 provinces, meaning Ontario’s next chance to host the event will be in 2041. London was the last Ontario city to host the games, in 2001.
According to the bid committee, hosting the games can generate more than $100 million in economic activity for a community.
Among the big names throwing their support behind Waterloo Region’s bid is Mandy Bujold, the Kitchener boxer who represented Canada at the Olympics this summer.
“It’s like a mini-Olympics,” she says. “It’s all the provinces competing against each other for medals.”
Bujold says one factor working in the region’s benefit is its “small-town feel,” which she sees ensuring that the games don’t get drowned out by bigger and better events.
Other communities bidding on the 2021 games are Ottawa, Sudbury and Niagara Region.
Officials with the Canada Summer Games have already visited the region once, and will be back at the end of February.
The final decision on the host community is expected to be made in March.
With reporting by Marc Venema
