Greater Sudbury Council has approved a Letter of Intent to Bid to host the 2021 Canada Summer Games.
The $20,000 bid to the Canada Games Council will be advanced from the existing budget of the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation (GSDC) as a show of support and encouragement for this opportunity.
“The 2013 Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke attracted over 16,000 visitors to that community and had an economic impact of $165 million,” said Mayor Brian Bigger.
“This opportunity is directly aligned with Council’s strategic priorities for growth and economic development, and presents us with a tremendous opportunity to potentially invest in and upgrade our existing sports facilities.”
The bid will make Greater Sudbury eligible for consideration of a technical review by the Canada Games Council in June. If the City is not selected to advance to a technical review, the Games Council will reimburse $10,000 of the asking bid.
“In April, we consulted with local sports associations, community groups and tourism partners on the advisability of submitting a bid for the Canada Summer Games. Our stakeholders were extremely positive and excited for the possibilities these Games offer,” said GSDC Board of Directors Chair Dr. Darren Stinson.
“The Canada Summer Games hosting opportunity aligns with the goals outlined in From the Ground Up, specifically around prioritizing attraction efforts for sporting events.”
A short list of successful municipalities will be announced in January, 2017. The Canada Games Council Bid Evaluation Committee will announce the winning bid in March or April.
A minimum capital contribution of $3 million from the successful municipality is to be matched by both the provincial and federal government for a total of $9 million in capital funding available to the host community.
The overall capital investment in past host venues has averaged $15 million to $19 million for previous Canada Games host communities, including all levels of government funding and private sector sponsorship.
The 2021 Canada Summer Games will be held in Ontario after the province switched years with Newfoundland and Labrador, which will now host in 2025.
Ontario has hosted Canada Summer Games in Thunder Bay in 1981 and in London in 2001. The 2017 Canada Summer Games will be held in Winnipeg.
