City of Greater Sudbury staff have been asked to bid on hosting the 2025 Ontario 55+ Games.
A unanimous community and emergency services committee of city council made the decision earlier this week, which was later ratified by a unanimous city council as a whole.
The games are anticipated to bring in 1,200 participants over the course of three days in August 2025 and generate an economic impact of $1.5 million.
City Leisure Services director Jeff Pafford told the committee this week that he’s optimistic city facilities will accommodate the games and that there’s a volunteer base “well suited to be able to facilitate the games.”
Whereas hosting the 2010 Ontario Summer Games required the city to build certain facilities, such as beach volleyball courts and BMX cycling track, Pafford clarified that hosting the 2025 Ontario 55+ Games is only anticipated to require “minor capital upgrades.”
It’s on this ambiguous point that Ward 4 Coun. Pauline Fortin and Ward 5 Coun. Mike Parent put forward a successful amendment requiring that staff “report back on necessary capital upgrades and funding resources,” in the event the city proves successful in their bid.
During the course of its three days, 2025 Ontario 55+ Games participants will compete in such sports as cycling, tennis, swimming, predictive walking, carpet bowling, shuffleboard, pickleball, slo-pitch, bowling, cards, bocce, pool, darts and golf.
Hosting the games is anticipated to cost $486,000, including a $45,000 contingency fund.
Costs would be funded through the Ontario Ministry of Sport Hosting Grant ($235,000), Greater Sudbury Development Corporation’s Tourism Development Fund ($90,000), registration fees ($90,000), sponsorship ($20,000) and the Tourism Event Support Program ($20,000). The $30,000 balance is expected to be funded from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation and FedNor, for which grants would be submitted.
Additional capital upgrades to meet the games’ needs might make hosting more costly.
In a letter of support, Greater Sudbury Development Corporation chair Jeff Portelance noted that they’d “be happy to consider additional contributions for capital investments that may be required to prepare the city’s leisure and sports facilities for this hosting opportunity.”
Any capital work the city does “positions Greater Sudbury to host future events as well,” city Economic Development director Meredith Armstrong said. “Strategically, the upgrades we are contemplating ... would be considered against the opportunity to gain more returns from those investments in the future.”
Armstrong’s report to city council noted that the Ontario 55+ Games were established in the early 1980s. The Ministry of Sport asked the city to bid on the 2025 Ontario 55+ Summer Games based on the city’s success in hosting the 2010 Ontario Summer Games.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
