The phenomenal success of Niagara’s 2022 Canada Summer Games will live on forever with a new organization called Sport Niagara and a $3.5 million endowment with the Niagara Community Foundation.
One of the components of Niagara’s original bid to host the games included the promise of a legacy of high-quality sport infrastructure and of community programs and spirit. The infrastructure – the Walker Sports and Abilities Centre at Brock University and the Neil Campbell Rowing Centre on Henley Island – are already being well-used, and now the new 2022 Canada Games Legacy Fund will be a permanent source of financial support for future sport tourism and participation.
The fund was started with the surplus from the games, said Doug Hamilton the chair of the Niagara 2022 Summer Games, and will be invested and managed by the Niagara Community Foundation. Each year, the earnings will be distributed to Sport Niagara for its use – promoting tourism and boosting sport participation. The fund can also accept future donations.
Sport Niagara will be able to use the funds to help develop Niagara athletes, providing high-performance training opportunities for elite athletes and their coaches, Hamilton said. But it will also be able to provide equipment and coaching for Niagara residents who need financial assistance to participate. The facilities and the funding also offer access and training to parasport athletes and to Niagara residents of all ages and abilities.
And the fund has the potential to boost Niagara’s economy. Sport tourism has been identified by Niagara Region as one of the key emerging drivers of economic growth in the next decade, and the facilities, hosting success, and the ability to recruit thousands of volunteers means Niagara is now poised to be able to host sporting events well into the future.
This is not the first time the Niagara Community Foundation has supported the Niagara games and their legacy. In 2021 the Foundation made its single biggest grant to date, with a $665,000 contribution to the David S. Howes Performance Centre at the Walker Sport and Ability Centre.
The 2022 Canada Games Legacy Fund means Niagara wins three ways. It’s good for Niagara athletes, it’s good for Niagara’s economy, and it’s good for the overall well-being of Niagara residents – medal-worthy results!
