Mississauga Set to Bid on Significant Sporting Event
Published May 31, 2017 at 5:35 pm
Sports fans, we’ve got big news for you!
The City of Mississauga recently announced that council has approved the city’s bid to host the 2020 Ontario Summer Games.
“Mississauga continues to cement its reputation as a leading destination to plan, organize and host national and international competitions of athleticism. We still feel the pride and legacy of the 2016 Ontario Summer Games. Council and staff are energized about the opportunity to once again showcase our civic pride and celebrate our community spirit as hosts of the 2020 Ontario Summer Games,” Mayor Bonnie Crombie said. “The Games are an opportunity to encourage volunteerism, contribute to local tourism and economic activity and help communities build their experience and resources to host large-scale events. Investing in local athletes is at the heart of city-building. This is especially true in a diverse community like Mississauga. Sport transcends language and culture. It is truly a unifying force for good.”
As you may recall, Mississauga was selected to host the 2016 Ontario Summer Games, which brought in over 4,000 young athletes and officials who competed in 32 sporting events over four days.
According to the city, that was the largest sporting event ever hosted in the city, achieving an estimated economic impact of $6 million according to an assessment conducted by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance.
“As a destination for sport tourism, we are excited to place a bid on the 2020 Ontario Summer Games,” said Paul Mitcham, Commissioner, Community Services. “To host the Games again would give us another opportunity to showcase our outstanding sport facilities and welcome thousands of athletes and visitors to Mississauga.”
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Even if you’re more a spending hawk who’s into pinching pennies, it’s easy to see why the city would want to welcome the games again.
Besides being fun, the Ontario Summer Games is the largest multi-sport event in the province, with 3,200 young athletes expected to compete in 23 sport events in 2020.
According to the city, the preliminary operating budget is projected to be $1.652 million. Mississauga’s contribution of $250,000 will, the city says, work to offset staffing and administration requirements for the Games.
In addition to bidding for the 2020 Summer Games, Mississauga will also host the 55+ Ontario Summer Games in 2018.
The City will submit the bid to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport (MTCS) by June 15, 2017 and will be notified of the outcome of the bid in the fall.
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