2017 Games bid process underway

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This article was published 31/01/2012 (5240 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The 2017 Canada Summer Games will either be held in Brandon or Winnipeg after the Canada Games Council’s bid process was launched in Winnipeg on Monday.

Brandon, the host of the 1997 Canada Summer Games as well as the 1979 Canada Winter Games, is the only Manitoba community to have hosted the national multi-sport games. Winnipeg has twice hosted the Pan-American Games, most recently in 1999.

“Whether it is Winnipeg or Brandon, they will do a tremendous job in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Canada Games and the 150th anniversary of Canada,” Manitoba deputy premier and Sport Minister Eric Robinson said. “I think the Games bring about a sense of spirit. That’s been my experience when I have attended these events. It certainly has a way of bringing the people together.”

The next deadline in the bid process is March 16, the date interested communities must submit a letter of intent to submit a bid and a $12,000 deposit. If both cities submit letters of intent, technical reviews of the proposed bids will begin after more information is filed by May 31. Brandon Mayor Shari Decter Hirst said the bidding cities will have until January 2013 to have all aspects of their bid proposals ready for consideration.

Prior to this meeting, Selkirk, Steinbach and Thompson had also expressed an interest in hosting the games but dropped out of the running, said Wayne Carew, the bid evaluation committee chairman for the 2017 Canada Summer Games.

“Games are hosted on a rotational cycle and each province gets a chance to host,” Carew said. “It’s a good opportunity for Manitoba to host the Games in 2017.

“The 3,500 athletes will come from 800 communities plus coaches and technical people will be coming to Manitoba. You leave more of a legacy with that than bricks and mortar. There’s opportunity for the city and the province to market itself to a national audience.”

One of the major hurdles to a Canada Games bid is whether the $185,000 that was set aside in the 2012 budget for a bid survives the Feb. 7 special council meeting. Decter Hirst said if that funding is cut or eliminated, the Wheat City will not file a bid proposal.

Federal, provincial and municipal governments involved provide up to $3 million for capital spending on venues in host communities, up to a total of $9 million. That may not cover all the costs and other fundraising efforts could be required to build venues. The 2013 Canada Summer Games to be hosted by Sherbrooke, Que., is expected to have an operating budget of more than $25 million.

“When you are looking at (2011 Canada Winter Games host) Halifax and what Sherbrooke is expecting to see, the economic impact is into the tens and tens of millions of dollars,” Decter Hirst said.

“Every hotel room will be booked. Every restaurant seat filled, long lineups at the tills of retail stores are just part of it. A lot of the provincial teams charter flights and they will land at our airport regardless of whether we have a WestJet here or not. These are all great for the city.”

The 2013 Canada Summer Games will feature 17 sports, and the venues used to host those events must meet a national and/or international standard as set by the sport governing bodies. While several of the venues built for the 1997 Canada Summer Games are still regarded as quality facilities, they would likely require some kind of renovation — a major upgrade in the case of the Sportsplex pool —to meet current competition standards.

“A lot of the work we have been doing to get a bid package ready, we would have been doing anyway in terms of capital upgrades,” Decter Hirst said. “Now we are doing it with an eye to what the requirements are to hosting this event. We’ve just juggled timelines around.”

The legacy the new and renovated facilities leave behind can help train the next generation of elite athletes, while offering recreational opportunities for everyone.

“That’s where it helps the most,” Robinson said. “It helps promote a healthier lifestyle for Manitobans.”

If Brandon is awarded the Games, between 5,000 and 6,000 people will be needed as volunteers, and they are a critical component of transforming an event celebrating sport into one of community pride.

“We have a loyal group of people, but we really need to bring in the next generation. What better a way than a national event like the Canada Games?” Decter Hirst said. “It’s about the bragging rights and the pride of the community and showcasing Brandon on a national scene again. It’s been a long time since we’ve been there, aside from the 2010 Memorial Cup. We need to get back into the habit of being a city that hosts champions.”

The first Canada Games were held in 1967, where in Quebec City, winter sports took prominence.

» kborkowsky@brandonsun.com