(February 25, 2020) Ottawa, ON – The Canada Games Council today officially launched the bid process for the 2025 Canada Summer Games that will be held in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The event took place at the Confederation Building in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. It was attended by the Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development, Derek Bennett, Secretariat for the Canada Games, Danny Breen, Mayor of St. John’s, Nathan Young, Youth Olympic Games Gold Medalist, and Canada Games Council Board Director and 2025 Bid Evaluation Committee Chair, Lynn Blouin.
The 2025 Canada Summer Games hosting requirements and bid procedures review began in March 2018 with the Canada Games Council and the Provincial Government having formal discussions around hosting the Games. In March 2019 the Canada Games Council received formal communication from the Provincial Government that it was looking forward to hosting the Games, and would seek interest from its communities in the fall of 2019 to bid for the Games.
In fall 2019, an information session was hosted by the Canada Games Council and the Provincial Government that provided an opportunity for Sport Newfoundland and Labrador, along with municipal and provincial government representatives to raise questions regarding the hosting requirements and bid process. Communities with the capacity to host the Summer Games, working collaboratively or individually, were invited to attend the session. Interested communities were invited to submit their intention to bid for the Games by November 30, 2019. The City of St John’s formally submitted its intention to bid, and will be engaging in the bid process with the Canada Games Council.
Facts and Timelines
● The City of St John’s will now embark on an 11-month process to build its bid to host the 2025 Canada Summer Games
● The Canada Games Council has struck a 2025 Bid Evaluation Committee who will review the bid developed by the City of St. John’s, in two phases:
● The Phase One technical review information will be due on May 29, 2020. This phase will assess the ability of the City to host the Games according to established sport venue, village, and non-sport venue hosting standards;
● After the technical review phase has been completed, and assuming this phase yields positive results, the Bid Committee will then be invited to enter Phase Two, and will be given until December 1, 2020 to submit the comprehensive bid proposal to the committee, including completion of a vision, marketing & communications strategy, community commitment, and a Games budget
● The CGC's Bid Evaluation Committee will then review and score the proposal based on the bid material and a site visit and will determine the ability of St. John's to host the Canada Games, and whether any conditions need to be
attached to the award of the Games
● The CGC's Bid Evaluation Committee will then make a recommendation on the award of the 2025 Canada Summer Games to the Canada Games Council’s Board of Directors
● The Canada Games Council’s Board of Directors will notify the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador about the final decision for the 2025 Canada Games and the public announcement will follow in February 2021
● Newfoundland and Labrador hosted the 1999 Canada Winter Games in Corner Brook and the 1977 Canada Summer Games in St. John's
● The Canada Summer Games can be expected to generate approximately $80-110 million in economic spending
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Quotes
“We want the 2025 Canada Summer Games! Hosting the Games is an incredible opportunity as it will contribute to athlete and infrastructure development, as well as bring upwards of 20,000 people to Newfoundland and Labrador. I encourage everyone to rally in support of this bid as we showcase our ability to host world-class sporting events that are truly one of a kind.”
Dwight Ball, Premier, Newfoundland and Labrador
“We are excited for the Canada Games to return to Newfoundland and Labrador where the province can once again showcase its passion for Canadian amateur sport and our nation’s young athletes. Newfoundland and Labrador has been an incredible host of the Games twice before, and we’re looking forward to what will surely be another incredible
event.”
Evan Johnston, Chair, Canada Games Council
“What a proud moment for our province, our communities and our athletes as, together with the Canada Games Council, we launch the bid process for the 2025 Canada Summer Games. These Games will provide tremendous sport development opportunities for our athletes as they compete here at home against their peers from across the country. Along with creating memories that will last a lifetime, the infrastructure and sport development legacy of the Games will benefit a generation of athletes to come. I wish the City of St. John’s every success throughout this process and I look forward to being part of these Games as Newfoundland and Labrador will provide talented athletes, volunteers rich in spirit and a culture like no other.”
Lisa Dempster, Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development, Newfoundland and Labrador
“The City of St. John’s is excited for the opportunity to enter into the bid process to host the 2025 Canada Summer Games. Our overwhelming success in hosting major national and international events, such as the 2017 Tim Hortons Brier, demonstrates the dedication, civic pride and community spirit of our residents and volunteers. I am confident that the experience we’ve gained through hosting past events positions our City as an ideal location for the 2025 Canada Summer Games. If we are successful, this event will provide an opportunity to showcase our unique culture, city and world-class hospitality to thousands of athletes, coaches, volunteers and mission staff from across the country.”
Danny Breen, Mayor of St. John’s
“The Canada Games is the gateway to excellence in sport for young Canadian athletes. It also opens doors to new opportunities as it did for me with the Youth Olympic Games. It’s so exciting to have the Canada Summer Games coming back to Newfoundland and Labrador in 2025! Go Team Newfoundland and Labrador”
Nathan Young, Team NL athlete, 2019 Canada Games alumnus, Curling
About the Canada Games
Held once every two years, alternating between winter and summer, the Canada Games are the largest multi-sport event in Canada for up and coming amateur athletes. Each Games features two weeks of competition, between 16 - 19 sports, approximately 3,400 summer and 2,350 winter athletes, and over 4,000 volunteers. Hosted in every province at least once since their inception in Quebec City in 1967, the Games are proud of their contribution to Canada’s sport development system in addition to their lasting legacy of sport facilities, community pride and national unity.
The organization of the Canada Games is made possible thanks to the contribution and support of the Government of Canada, provincial/territorial governments, host municipalities and the Canada Games Council.
