Cornwall Looking to Attract More Sporting Events

Cornwall Ontario – Cornwall has an excellent reputation for hosting major sporting events –  something that will be promoted at the Sport Events Congress this week.

The Sport Events Congress is Canada’s largest annual gathering of sport and tourism professionals, and takes place March 7-9. The Congress offers events rights holders the opportunity to meet one-on-one with municipal representatives interested in hosting events in their communities.

“Cornwall has a long history of successfully hosting major sporting events across a number of sports,” says Lorne Taillon, Leisure Arts Coordinator with the City of Cornwall. “These events can bring in hundreds of athletes, coaches and officials, and attract thousands of spectators. The economic impact of such activity is significant.”

Joining Mr. Taillon at the show is Kevin Lajoie, Tourism Co-ordinator with the City. Officials from the NAV CENTRE are also expected to attend.

“Sport tourism is a growing market, one that benefits hotels, restaurants and merchants throughout the community,” says Mr. Lajoie. “We are looking forward to connnecting with event organizers and see if Cornwall is a good fit for future events.”

The sport tourism industry generates over $6.5 billion of economic activity in Canada. Cornwall already hosts a number of major sporting events each year, including those that attract national and event international attention.

Each September, the Cornwall Curling Centre welcomes 140 of the world’s top curlers for the Shorty Jenkings Classic Bonspiel.  More recently Cornwall welcomed over 300 athletes for the OFSAA Basketball Championships and just a few weeks ago welcomed over 700 participants for the Ontario Cheerleading Winter Blast.

Looking ahead, Cornwall will welcome thousands of athletes for the Cornwall RuntoEndMS, Cornwall Triathlon, MSBike and other similar events.

“We are fortunate to have many world-class facilities in our community, and it is always exciting to welcome exceptional athletes from across the country to experience them,” says Mr. Taillon. “Many sporting events have a close connection to local sport groups, and can also serve as fundraisers for them.”

Local sport venues and related amenities are highlighted in a colourful 12-page brochure created for this event. The Civic Complex and the versatile Benson Centre are featured, along with the Curling Centre, Aquatic Centre the Waterfront Trail and NAV CENTRE.

“A key element in our pitch is the fact that have the private sector resources in the community, such as hotels and restaurants, all of which are important in meeting the needs of event organizers,” notes Mr. Lajoie.

The Sport Events Congress is being held in the Halifax Convention Centre. This is the fourth consecutive year that Cornwall has exhibited at the event.

Get the Brochure

A copy of the new Cornwall Sports Venures brochure can be downloaded from the Resources section of this website.

About the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance

The Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance (CSTA) promotes sport tourism as a grassroots economic development initiative at the community level. The CSTA services over 500 members across Canada, including 150 municipalities, 300 national and provincial sport, multi-sport and major games organizations and a variety of other sport and tourism industry partners. Sport tourism is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry in Canada with over $6.5 billion in annual spending by domestic and international visitors.

Categorised in: Sports