Thunder Bay to bid on hosting 2024 Ontario Winter Games

The City of Thunder Bay's economy would get a boost of more than $6 million if its bid to host the 2024 Ontario Winter Games is successful, city administration said Tuesday.

Council voted Monday to submit a bid for the games, which would bring about 3,000 young athletes, and athletes with disabilities, along with coaches and team managers, to Thunder Bay for a few days' worth of competition, if the city is chosen as host by the province.

The games would represent "a really large economic impact for local hotels, for local sport organizations, and different businesses in town,"Paul Burke, the city's sport and community development supervisor, said.

"It would really help with the economic recovery from COVID-19."

The bid is due Jan. 8, 2021, and then a venue inspection would take place.

Burke said the city is well-prepared when it comes to the venues for the about 25 sports the Ontario Winter Games include.

"We pretty much have all the venues that are required for the games, and they'll require about 18 different venues," he said. "The only renovations that may be required, once we take a really good look at them, is there are athletes with physical disabilities, so we may need to do some accessibility improvements to some of the buildings."

The sports include downhill and cross-country skiing, and snowboarding, as well as a number of indoor events like curling, badminton, bowling, weightlifting, wheelchair basketball, and hockey.

Burke said preparing the bid will cost about $15,000, and the city has agreed to set aside $250,000, which would be split between the 2023 and 2024 budgets, as well as $50,000 in in-kind support through things like waived fees.

In addition, the Ontario government provides a $900,000 grant, and a further $100,000 to cover any deficit, to the host city.

Remaining costs are expected to be covered via avenues like sponsorships, and local fundraising, a report to council states.

The province is expected to announce the successful bidder in March or April of 2021.

The city last hosted the Ontario Winter Games in 1974.