London Awarded Ontario Summer Games Again in 2020

London will host back-to-back Ontario Summer Games.

Minister Deb Matthews, along with Mayor Matt Brown, made the announcement today at the Canada Games Aquatic Centre that London would again be hosting the games in 2020. Tourism London General Manager John Winston, Western University Athletic Director Christine Stapleton, and London Ontario Summer Games General Manager Dave De Kelver were also in attendance.

The 2018 Games will run from August 2nd through 5th at various venues throughout London, and approximately 3,500 athletes, coaches, and officials will visit London.

The same is expected for the 2020 Ontario Summer Games that London were awarded today.

“Any time we can showcase our great city and world class facilities to athletes and families from across the province is a positive,” said Cheryl Finn, Director of Sport Tourism for Tourism London. “London has developed a great reputation when it comes to sport hosting and we look forward to once again welcoming these participants and their families to London to experience more than just our sporting facilities but also some of our one-off restaurants, unique attractions, and everything else London has to offer.”

The Ontario Games Program started in 1970 in Etobicoke to showcase amateur athletes. It is now the premiere multi-sport event in the province, and includes both team and individual sports.

“We are a sports city through and through and it’s so fitting that we’ve been chosen as host city for the 2020 Ontario Summer Games,” said Mayor Matt Brown.

The 2020 games will be the fifth time London has hosted the event in it’s 50 year history (1975, 1996, 2004, 2018, 2020).

Each one of the games is covered by a $1-million grant from the province, and is expected to have an economic impact on the city of about $6 million. So back-to-back games allows organizers to create multi-year contracts, and even further improve the economic benefits.

“With your world class venues and facilities, and strong legacy as a premier sport-hosting city, these Games are sure to be an unforgettable experience for athletes, volunteers and visitors,” said Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport Daiene Vernile. “We are pleased to support the 2020 Ontario Summer Games through our Games Ontario program that encourages competitive opportunities for amateur athletes to pursue their sport goals, while boosting local tourism, economic activity and volunteerism.”

As for the 2018 games that are set to open in just a few months time, the General Manager of the games De Kelver said things were coming along well, “We’re thrilled with where we’re at in planning for the upcoming 2018 Ontario Summer Games. The community has stepped up to volunteer like we knew they would, sponsors have been fantastic, and everyone’s excited to provide an unforgettable “Olympic-style” experience to these future stars.”

That doesn’t mean that Londoners should sit on their hands.

“Much work is still needed to be done and we continue to call on the community for their support however it’s great to see it all start to come together,” De Kelver added.

Congratulations to London Tourism for pulling off the double.

It’s estimated that close to 1000 volunteers are needed for the event, so for more information, please visit www.london2018.ca.