Today city officials gave Ontario Winter Games representatives a guided tour of local sports facilities and hotels as part of the Sault’s bid to host the Games in 2028.
Held every two years, the Ontario Winter Games is a multi-sport competition for athletes aged 12 to 18.
“Up to 2,700 athletes would participate in up to 20 different sports across the city,” said Jeff McClelland, the Sault's area coordinator for sport, tourism, and special events.
Mr. Bon Soo was on hand to greet Games officials as they arrived for a tour of The Water Tower Inn.
“The dates are still to be set, but the Games would be held mid-February in 2028. Sports would include wrestling, badminton, ringette, sledge hockey, wheelchair basketball, wrestling, judo . . . it's quite a variety,” McClelland told SooToday.
Games officials were scheduled to tour potential accommodation sites for athletes, such as The Water Tower Inn, and sports facilities including GFL Memorial Gardens, John Rhodes Community Centre, Northern Community Centre, Soo Curlers and Hiawatha Highlands, to name a few.
It is not known when Games officials will make a decision on which community will host the 2028 Games.
Games officials declined comment while at The Water Tower Inn.
“Originally the plan was that their visit would have occurred earlier in the year and I think the original timeline was to award the Games by March, but with the provincial election it kind of delayed things," McClelland said.
"The government had to go into caretaker mode so they weren't able to fulfill all of those timelines."
McClelland said Games officials appeared to like what they saw.
“They've been impressed. We lined up some roadside visits at FH Clergue French Immersion Public School and St. Paul Catholic School and we'll be going by Queen Elizabeth Public School when we go to the John Rhodes.
"We had those schools come out with signs and cheering. They were kind of blown away with that. It's not something that a lot of cities normally do. We wanted to show them that the Sault has a lot of community spirit and if the Games came here the whole city would embrace it,” McClelland said.
The Ontario Winter Games would rake in around $5 million for Sault hotels and restaurants, McClelland said.
If the Games are awarded to the Sault, there would be lead-up events such as a one-year countdown, a 100-day countdown and volunteer recruitment efforts, McClelland added.
Council has supported the city’s bid for the 2028 Ontario Winter Games.
If the bid is successful, the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport would provide $1 million in support along with an additional $325,000 for a legacy/contingency fund.
The Games were held in Thunder Bay in 2024 and will be in Orillia in 2026.
Sault Ste. Marie last hosted the Ontario Winter Games in 2000.