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Winning 2011 Winter Games bid means a legacy for Mainland North
February 1st, 2007
By Debbie Hum
Councillor District 16
February, 2007 - On Friday, January 19, Canada Games Council members from across Canada arrived in Halifax Regional Municipality on the last leg of their 2011 Canada Games On-Site and Evaluation Tour of facilities and venues. The C.G.C. members joined the 2011 Canada Games HRM’s Bid Steering Committee Members and Volunteers on HRM’s site evaluation and tour.
On February 14, the Council is scheduled to announce the winning bid and host community for 2011 Canada Winter Games. Many of us wait with bated breath for that announcement. For HRM to win that right would mean great opportunities not only for our youth, but for our community, for our municipality, indeed, our Province.
While Nova Scotia is designated host province for the 2011 Canada Winter Games, this past fall Halifax Regional Municipality, along with the Highland Region and Hub Central Nova, were selected as the three communities to compete for the right to host. HRM submitted its Bid Book document to the Council December 28, 2006.
Both Councillor Mary Wile and I were members of HRM’s Executive Steering Committee, which was co-chaired by Colleen Jones, a world renowned and Olympic curler, and Scott Ferguson, Executive Vice President of Trade Centre Incorporated. And truly, what an experience it was working with the committee members and community volunteers - an exceptional and dynamic group!
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Halifax West High School students, staff and administration who organized and participated in a student rally Friday, January 19. Student Council Co-Presidents’ Ruby Carr and James Ramia addressed the Canada Games Council and Bid Committee members during our tour of the Mainland Common. The students’ support was all the more amazing considering the inclement weather conditions. You made a difference and put smiles on everyone’s faces! Thank you.
How ironic, or perhaps coincidental, Halifax hosted the first Canada Games in 1969, which left Centennial Pool and Centennial Arena as legacy facilities. Colleen Jones passionately articulated the value of the Games when she made a presentation at Regional Council saying “the Canada Games are often the pinnacle moment in the development of Canada’s young athletes, and along with their legacies, continue to be the catalyst for the growth of sport and recreation across the country.”
| (The Mainland Common field house) will be built to meet or exceed the national and international technical specifications for many different sports. |
The field house facility, combined with the planned Mainland Common Community Centre will bring endless opportunities in our communities in terms of providing recreation and sport, and promoting active and healthy lifestyles - not only for our youth, but for all ages. In addition to the field house facility legacy, the adjacent property (now known as the Mainland Common) would be named “Canada Games Park.”
However, the Mainland Common is not the only venue to benefit from facility improvements should HRM win the bid. With 21 sports sanctioned for these Games, other site venues across the region will also benefit from facility upgrades, purchasing of new sport equipment to be retained in the local community, and so on.
There are many more legacies involved with hosting these Canada Games – both pre and post event. There will be a financial legacy in keeping with the Canada Games Council’s objectives. Based on the Inspiring Dreams program, the legacy of funds will ensure financial support for resources, programs, activities, tools and events for HRM’s youth, both leading up to and following the Games. There will be a Capacity Building Legacy where a new generation of leaders is developed; it will increase our pool of dedicated volunteers; and provide a social legacy as well as active, healthy lifestyles, and sport development throughout our province.
Hosting the Games will means the visitation of approximately 3500 athletes, coaches and managers; 450 technical officials; 400 media and broadcast professional; and 6,000 guests and VIPs during the tourism off season. While the primary reasons for hosting the Canada Games are to contribute to sport and athlete development across the Municipality, the Games are also about community development and pride. The Canada Games create economic, social and cultural benefits that impact participants, volunteers and spectators, and more generally, the host region and province.
We certainly can’t downplay or overlook the economic and long term benefits from hosting a national event like the Canada Winter Games, is the nation’s largest multisport event. HRM’s Bid Book document states “The Sports Tourism Economic Assessment modestly predicts the following economic impacts: the combined total of visitor spending as a result of hosting the Canada Winter Games would be approximately $38 million; expenditures generating a total of $81 million in economic activity in the Province, and $59.5 million in HRM; and approximately 891 person years of work for HRM and approximately 233 person years of work for the remainder of the province.” The economic benefits before and after the Canada Games will be significant and long reaching as well.
Let’s cross our fingers that February 14 will bring one sweetheart of a Valentine’s present to HRM.
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