Special Olympics Ontario coming to Brantford, Brant County, and Six Nations of the Grand River
Thousands of athletes, coaches, and supporters will be coming to Brantford, Brant County, and Six Nations of the Grand River for a major provincial event.
The moment has been a long time coming.
“There was a bid that was submitted on behalf of the three police services – so Six Nations, OPP, and Brantford city police – we submitted it back in 2018. Then, obviously, with that happened in the pandemic everything got put on hold,” Brantford Police Service’s Deputy Chief Jason Saunders explained following the official announcement at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre on Thursday afternoon.
“This year, I got a phone call from Glenn MacDonell from Special Events Ontario and he advised that our community was going to be awarded the games.”
Saunders said Six Nations will host bocce events, softball will be played in Paris, and track and field meets and soccer matches will be held in Brantford.
“By far, the best part of these games is how much joy [the athletes] get out of this and just seeing smiles on their faces,” Saunders said.
Law Enforcement Torch Run Coordinator for the OPP and Brant OPP Constable Jonathan Bueckert agreed.
“The Special Olympics community if focused on inclusion and diversity. Anybody can walk up to Special Olympics – you, me, and athlete – and be involved right away. There’s not many communities that you can walk into and feel that way. It’s really incredible when you walk into a building and you’re immediately accepted by everybody and they just have a way of bringing the energy,” Beuckert said.
Six Nations acting Sergeant Derrick Anderson said the bond between the athletes and the police was palpable during Thursday’s event.
“I could feel the bond. When we come in and they just [like] hanging around the cruisers and want to get pictures with you. That connection – it’s heartwarming.”
Kailee Mitchell has been competing at the Special Olympics for five years, and she said the experience is incredible.
“It’s good to cheer the athletes on so they can feel honoured that they are doing their best and what they’re doing is good.”
She encourages anyone who may be hesitant to take part to give it a try. “You can talk to somebody and they’ll help you, guide you through.”
The road ahead
There is still a lot of work to do before the games can take place next summer.
“We’re just in the beginning stages now – working on accommodations and planning out schedules,” Bueckert said. “We’re probably going to be recruiting from the provincial level to be well resourced so we have enough volunteers because I know there’s going to be hundreds of people that we’re going to need to make the event a success.”
“We’ve looked at some tentative venues, but once we get an idea of how many athletes are going to come and what venues we actually need, [the events] could expand to other areas,” Saunders told CTV News.
He also said the police organizations will be doing some fundraising over the next year.
Saunders said anyone interested in volunteering should keep their eyes on the Special Olympics Ontario website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
RCMP not investigating possible foreign interference cases related to Chiu, Dong: Duheme
Canada's federal police force is not investigating any possible instances of foreign interference in the cases of former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu and Liberal-turned-Independent MP Han Dong, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca