January 21, 2006

The Canadian Broadcasting Company and organizers of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games have finally reached an agreement that will provide at least some coverage of the Games in March, to Canadian television viewers.  

The coverage will be minimal, only a one hour highlights package each day, which will be played twice per day. 

CBC has complained of a tight schedule, with the Paralympics, curling and other sporting events conflicting with the Commonwealth Games schedule. 

In November, Fox Sports announced that TV viewers in the United States would also be able to see a daily highlights package, and some live coverage, of the Commonwealth Games from Australia.

Canada Chooses Halifax  to compete for 2014 Commonwealth Games

December 15, 2005

Halifax has been unanimously selected as Canada's candidate to bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games against Glasgow, Scotland and Abuja, Nigeria.

Halifax was selected over Hamilton, Ottawa, and the York/Toronto Region.

Commonwealth Games Federation president Claude Bennett spoke very highly of all four bids and hoped that all four cities would continue to bid for future international events.

The announcement was made in a live webcast just before 10:30 am EST (7:30 am PST). Halifax organizers immediately updated the Halifax 2014 web site with "Winner" emblazoned across the top, and a press release of the announcement.

Halifax had previously bid for the games in 1994 and 2010, losing to Victoria and Hamilton. This will be Halifax's first attempt at an international bid for the games.

The international bidding for the 2014 Commonwealth Games will conclude in late 2007 at Commonwealth Games meetings in Sri Lanka.

Five Canadian cities now in running for 2014 Commonwealth Games

July 26, 2005

Five Canadian cities began the official race to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games with Calgary, Halifax, Hamilton, Ottawa and the York Region filing papers last week with Commonwealth Games Canada.

Final bid proposals are due on November 1st, and the Canadians will declare their candidate city in December of this year.

Cities must submit their final bids to the Commonwealth Games Federation by April 2007, and the 2014 host city is scheduled to be chosen in October of 2007

Nigeria and Scotland are also declaring strong interest in bidding for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

China and Canada sign sport cooperation agreement

July 14, 2005

Canada this week became the latest nation to sign a sports accord with China. The two nations will share information on anti-doping, women's sports issues and disabled athletes.

Australia, India, South Africa, Russia, Cuba, Tunisia, Brazil and France also have signed various agreements to share training facilities and techniques.

The most publicized agreement was last month with Russia, which was advertised as an attempt for China and Russia to divide and conquer events that the US would be strong in. Both would compete with the US, but not directly with each other, in an attempt to topple the United States from the top of the medal count.

Two weeks ago China signed an agreement with India with Sports Minister Liu Peng, saying "India had hosted the first Asian Games in 1951 and another edition in 1982. We hosted the Asian Games only in 1990. We have drawn from your experience. We want to have closer relations in sports and strengthen the time-honored friendship."

Agreements of this kind have been popular especially among communist nations, for the past several decades.

Yellowknife to host 2008 Arctic Winter Games

April 19, 2005

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories has been chosen to host the 2008 Arctic Winter Games. Yellowknife hosted the inaugural Arctic Winter Games in 1970, and has also hosted the 1984, 1990 and 1998 games.

Yellowknife won the bid over a joint bid from South Slave, Hay River and Fort Smith.

The games started with teams from Alaska, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories, but now additional teams from Northern Alberta, Nunavut, Nunavik Quebec, Greenland, Yamal Russia, the Sami of northern Scandinavia compete in the games.

Yellowknife and Arctic Winter Games International Committee are due to sign the official contract for the games in May of this year.

Canada struggling to get Commonwealth Games TV deal

April 15, 2005

The Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) has declined to broadcast the 2006 Commonwealth Games according to a Chris Zelkovish report in the Toronto Star. CBC claims their schedule will already be full at the time (March 2006) with a local curling tournament, and the Paralympic Games from Italy.

George Heller, President of the Commonwealth Games Foundation of Canada called the move an affront to Canada's athletes, to Canada, the Commonwealth Games movement, Australia and to the history of the games.

Other broadcasters in Canada have also claimed difficulties in fitting the games into their schedules. ``If there's not TV coverage in 2006, it's not because I haven't made an extraordinary pest of myself," Heller said.

Heller may have let his emotions override his reasoning when he continued, ``We're bidding to hold the 2010 Games (in Hamilton). ... How's this going to look?" (The 2010 games were awarded to New Delhi seventeen months ago, in November 2003).

Fan interrupts men's Olympic diving competition

August 16, 2004

A fan, reported to be a 31-year-old Canadian man, wearing a tutu, polka-dot tights and clown shoes, interrupted the diving competition by climbing onto an adjacent board and diving into the pool.

The man had the name of an online betting service scrawled onto his chest, leading some observers to conclude that Mark Roberts, the self proclaimed "world's greatest streaker" has made good on his guarantee of one year ago to streak at the Olympic Games.

Last summer, Roberts told HBO television in the United States, "the world's greatest athletes deserve to be streaked by the world's greatest streaker!"

It turned out not to be Roberts, but could Roberts still be lurking in Athens?

By some reports, the man was in the pool for several minutes. After he was removed, he claimed he was simply sending a message of love to his wife back home in Canada. Greek organizers have said that they will now add security around the pool.

NBC announcers were flustered by the incident, as were several of the diving teams. The Chinese, Russian and US pairs performed anywhere from below par to disastrous in the last round.

The Greek pair, Nikolaos Siranidis and Thomas Bimis, saw the streaker as a "good omen."  A streaker had made his way onto the field during the Euro 2004 Final when Greece beat host Portugal. Greek divers held on to win a much appreciated gold medal.

Lexington, Kentucky and Kentucky Horse Park hoping for 2010 WEG

July 10, 2004

Kentucky has announced that it will try again to earn the right to host the World Equestrian Games. Kentucky lost out to Aachen, Germany for the 2006 Games.

Declarations of intent to bid are due July 15, with final bids due October 15, 2004. Other bids are expected from Normandy, France; Melbourne, Australia; and the United Arab Emirates.

Spruce Meadows, on the outskirts of  Calgary, Canada, and England have both abandoned bids for this edition of the games, Canada in November of last year, citing the awarding of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games to Vancouver as a conflict, and England earlier this month citing lack of resources and the need to focus on other commitments.

July 10, 2004

Donovan Vincent of the Toronto Star is reporting today that the city of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada's sixth largest city, is quietly discussing the possibility of bidding for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Vincent reports that the proposal is only in the very earliest stages of discussion, and no one involved in the talks was willing to be interviewed on the topic. One meeting between the mayor, other city representatives and sport officials has been held.

Mississauga is a suburb of Toronto, a city that is also mentioning bidding for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, but the two bids would be competitive, not cooperative.

Hamilton, Ontario and Montreal are also pondering bids for the games, and early in the race there is a crowded field of international cities also expressing interest in the games.

July 8, 2004

The Australian Sports Commission yesterday responded immediately and strongly to allegations by WADA head Dick Pound that in the recent past "Australia has badly handled numerous drug inquiries."

CEO of the Australian Sports Commission Mark Peters called the remarks "wrong and ill-considered" in a statement released on the ASC web site. "Had he checked before making ill-informed media statements, he would have found that WADA has been kept informed of the allegations made against Australian cyclists since the issue arose late last year" Mr. Peters said. "I challenged Mr. Pound to provide evidence for this outrageous statement."

Pound had claimed that information relating to certain cases was "known and available" since some time last year.

Peters countered that 'The ASC, Cycling Australia (CA) and the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) only received the names supplied by the athlete in the third week of June, after the completion of the Court of Arbitration for Sport Process,' he
said.

Peters continued, "Mr. Pound should be aware that Australia-like his home country
Canada-has binding privacy legislation that prevents the release of information given in confidence without the approval of the individuals who gave that information.
'This is the case with the report of the Anderson Inquiry, which will be
released publicly once all suitable approvals have been obtained, as is
required by the Privacy Act, 1988." 

Pound has shown a consistent pattern of offensive remarks to a number of parties during his tenure as head of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

June 7, 2004

A 12 member World Transplant Games Federation inspection team has finished what it has termed its final look at of the London, Ontario, Canada facilities to be used for next years World Transplant Games. 

The WTFG has said that it is very pleased with the preparations for the games which are planned to open on July 16, 2005 and go through July 24th.

Early estimates are for over 50 nations and 1500 to be represented at the games next year.

May 19, 2004

The Fraternité des policiers (Fraternity of Police) in Quebec has asked its members not to take part in a promotional fundraising plan put forth by the organizing committee of the 2005 World Police and Firefighters Games to be held in Quebec City.

Police, firefighters, customs agents and correctional officers had been given the opportunity to purchase beer and earn a rebate at certain stores. Under a program using loyalty cards given out by the games organizers, officers and firefighters could get 1 dollar off a 12-pack and 2 dollars off a 24 pack of beer, with 50 percent of the rebate going towards the organizing committee of the 2005 games.

The Fraternité des policiers said that the plan was against police ethics.

The organizing body of the games had hoped to make the program available up until the year 2007, though the games will be over in July of 2005.

May 15, 2004

Toronto, Canada, and New Delhi, India both mentioned this week bidding for games held in the year 2014, a "maybe" for a Toronto 2014 Commonwealth Games bid, and an announcement by Indian Olympic Association head Suresh Kalmadi that New Delhi would be bidding for the 2014 Asian Games.

The two cities are taking completely different strategies to landing the games however.  Toronto officials have speculated that any possible Toronto bid, hinges on the award of the 2010 World Cup, which is scheduled to go to Africa, and possibly South Africa.  Toronto's reasoning is that if South Africa were to land the 2010 World Cup, they would not have the resources to host, the Commonwealth Games in 2014 opening the possibility for a Toronto bid for the games. (Ed. Update. It was announced today that South Africa has been awarded the 2010 World Cup.)

Toronto would have to be selected over Montreal by Canadian officials first, then compete against what might be a crowded field for the games, with cities in Nigeria, Scotland, New Zealand, and Singapore as well as South Africa, showing interest in bidding for the games.

India's argument takes the exact opposite approach. India's has already won the right to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and wants to bid for the 2014 Asian Games in order to keep up the momentum and be able to host the 2016 Olympic Games.  One city hosting, three major games so closely in succession would be unprecedented.

India may also find itself in a contradictory situation if it does decided to pursue the both the Asian Games and Asian Paralympic Games in 2014 and the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

India successfully used the argument during the 2010 Commonwealth Games bid race, that "the games should go to new places."  New Delhi was up against Hamilton, Canada, and Canada had already hosted four Commonwealth Games. (called the British Empire Games in 1930, The British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, and the British Commonwealth Games in 1978.)

India has already hosted the Asian Games twice, the inaugural games in 1951 and the 1982 games, and is planning to host the 2007 World Military Games in Hyderabad, prior to hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Canada choosing city for 2009 WUG bid

April 7, 2004

Montreal and Edmonton have both submitted letters of intent to Canadian Interuniversity Sport to bid for the 2009 World University Games.  Bid documents, when submitted, must include commitment of financial support from all relevant government entities.

The CIS is scheduled to choose one of the cities on May 17, 2004 to present a bid to FISU  by the 30th of June of this year. 

Montreal's letter outlines a bid from the City of Montreal in conjunction with the Universite de Montreal, McGill University, Concordia University, Universite du Quebec a Montreal (UQAM), and Ecole de technologie superieure (ETS).

Edmonton's proposal is a cooperation of the City of Edmonton and the University of Alberta. 

Edmonton hosted the games in 1983 and if they were to win a bid again would become only the third city to host a FISU Summer University Games more than one time.

Since 1959 (the first year that FISU was in charge of the games) only two cities have hosted the games twice. Turin in 1959 and 1970 (when it rescued the games that Portugal had abandoned) and Sofia, Bulgaria in 1961 and 1977.

March 12, 2004

The weeks bombshell in the ongoing feud between Rendez-Vous 2006 and the Federation of Gay Games; the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation (EGLSF) has announced that it will enter into a mutual promotional agreement with Rendez-Vous 2006 and withdraw its membership in the FGG.  The decision to withdraw from the FGG was made by the EGLSF at their annual assembly last weekend.

Montreal Rendez Vous 2006 organizers say this is a big victory for them and that most of the European participants will be going to Montreal in 2006.  However, organizers of the Gay Games in Chicago say they already had a commitment from the EGLSF to participate in the Chicago games.

Montreal 2006 and the EGLSF will help promote each others games. The EGLSF sponsors the Eurogames. This years edition will be in Munich, Germany.

Has Gay Games feud reached a boiling point?

March 4, 2004

The sparring between Gay Games factions reached new heights (or lows) this week, prolonging the acrimonious, months-long debate over the future of the movement as both sides waged a public relations battle for public opinion. 

On March 1, the day before the Federation of Gay Games announced they were choosing Chicago as the new 2006 Gay Games host, the organizers of Montreal's Rendez-Vous 2006, the unofficial games for gays that lost the sanction of the FGG, fired another shot in the war by releasing a press statement attacking the FGG for seeking to "deliberately divide  the American gay community."  

The inflammatory release said that the decision to hold the Gay Games two weeks before the Montréal games is irresponsible, and will force participants to choose one over the other, and that Montréal had asked any future organizers of the next Gay Games to postpone them until 2007.

The release went on to say that the Montréal organizers felt a duty to warn any city chosen by the FGG that it was being lured into a trap by the FGG, as the FGG would not share any of the financial burden of the games, while requiring a license fee of several hundred thousand dollars. The release concluded that the FGG had negotiated with Montréal in bad faith.

The following day, the FGG released its own announcement that they had chosen Chicago over Los Angeles as host of the official 2006 Gay Games. 

The announcement included statements of support for the games from Canada, Australia and Germany, as well as support from several sources in Chicago.  

The FGG release made no mention of any events in Montreal, but stated that launch parties for the 2006 games in Chicago would be held all over the globe in the next two months.

While the two factions fought privately and publicly,  Jim Provenzano of the Dallas Voice, in a February 27 article, asked readers if Montréal had not been honest in its negotiations with the FGG.

Provenzano revealed that the Montréal 2006 organizers had, in August of last year, applied to trademark the term "Rainbow Games" through their attorney and Montréal 2006 Board member Marie Laure Leclercq.

Provenzano surmises that the application may be an indication that Montréal 2006 never intended to conclude negotiations with the FGG, so as to not have to pay the $650,000  license fee, a proposition the Montréal 2006 vehemently and categorically denies.

Provenzano quotes Richard Cobden, an attorney on the FGG side stating. "Many hours were spent, many options explored to accommodate Montréal’s demands. There was not one position they adopted that the FGG did not try to accommodate” and “I have never participated in a negotiation in which the other side has behaved in quite so dishonorable or devious a fashion.”  The FGG contends that Montréal 2006 was not willing to concede or negotiate on a single point. 

Provenzano also reveled that Equipe Montréal had been using the FGG database to email athletes (and was suspended from the FGG for this action). Montréal 2006 denies using the list, saying that they collected emails addresses directly from athletes while in Sydney. The replies from the FGG is that this does not account for emails being sent to special email addresses and aliases, not associated with real people, that Sydney organizers had set up to test and safeguard their list. 

On top of all of this, a three-time participant in the games from Germany, Andreas Wellauer, writes in the March edition of The Advocate, that no city on the United States should host the Gay Games based on restrictive immigration requirements related to visas and HIV status. 

Wellauer argues that it is not possible to hold the Gay Games in the United States without violating the principles of global inclusion, equality, and integration espoused by the games. 

Wellauer writes that watching participants from India and Pakistan -nations without the friendliest of relations in the past- walk into the opening ceremonies hand-in-hand proved that " gays and lesbians are able to transcend national, political, ethnic, and religious boundaries.

Except when deciding when and where to hold the 2006 games. 

March 2, 2004

With a torch bought into the arena on a dog sled, and over 7,000 people inside a a special tent that had been raised for the opening ceremony, the largest Arctic Winter Games ever have opened in Fort McMurray, northern Alberta with Canada's Governor General Adrienne Clarkson and Alberta Premier Ralph Klein presiding. Also in attendance was Alberta's Health Minister Gary Mar.

Clarkson said "the Arctic Winter Games is really important to Canada," because "the North is very important to Canadians."

Fort McMurray is spending some 6.3 million (cdn) on the games, the majority of it raised from private and corporate sources. Some 5,000 volunteers are assisting to make the games possible.

Canadian country music star Aaron Lines, was the featured entertainment, joined by blues band Johnny Guitar and rap group Funhouze.

The games have the most delegations ever having started with just Alaska, the Yukon and Northwest Territories in 1970, this years games now include Greenland, Magadan (Russia), Nunavik-Quebec, Nunavut, Chukotka, Yamal-Nenets (Russia) and Sami as well as the host Northern Alberta delegation.

The games provide competitive opportunities for some delegations who don't get a chance to compete very often, or at all. Some Nunavut participants are participating in snowboarding for the first time, and Nunavut's Junior Hockey team is playing its only tournament of the year.

NHL star Jordin Tootoo is from Nunavut, but played in the Arctic Winter Games for the Northwest Territories team, before Nunavut was its own team.

FGG picks Chicago as 2006 Gay Games host

March 2, 2004

The Federation of Gay Games voted yesterday and announced this morning their choice of Chicago over Los Angeles as the "presumptive host" of the 2006 Gay Games. The presumption is based on the host organization signing the games contract with the FGG, but negotiations are said to be almost complete and the contracts are expected to be signed at the end of the month.

Chicago was chosen because its bid had solid community support, a good financial plan, and an "international vision" according to Federation officials. Chicago Games Inc. has said that they will change the structure and approach of financing the games, to avoid the financial difficulties that have plagued the last four games.

Chicago has estimated 12,000 participants and 15,000 spectators will attend the games, with opening ceremonies in Soldier Field, closing ceremonies in Millennium Park and 25 sports held in four "sports villages" around Chicago.

The Montreal organizers of Rendez-Vouz 2006, the organization that lost the official sanction of the Gay Games late last year, took the opportunity of today's announcement to issue their own press release, blasting the FGG for trying to split the gay sport movement by having the Gay Games just two weeks before Rendez-Vous 2006.

South Slave to challenge AWG ruling?

February 28, 2004

A group in the South Slave region of the Northwest Territories is hoping it can fight new rules designed to keep smaller communities from hosting the Arctic Winter Games.

Arctic Winter Games International Committee, after the 2002 Games that were split between Nunavut and Greenland, changed their rules and now require one community to be able to host and house all of the athletes and sports.

The South Slave Sports Committee is traveling to Fort McMurray to talk with the Arctic Winter Games International Committee in hopes of securing a future bid, and at the same time talk about making the games smaller and less expensive to put them in reach of smaller communities.

February 26, 2004

Will Montreal finally get to host the Commonwealth Games, some 72 years after they were scheduled to host the Commonwealth sports party in 1942? World War Two ended those plans and when the games were revived in 1950, far away New Zealand was the venue.

Internationaux du sport de Montreal has disclosed that they are exploring a bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The organizations president, Marc Campagna, said that Montreal's experience of hosting the Olympic Games in 1976 would help. One wonders if the bills will be paid off on Montreal's Olympic Stadium by 2014?

The 2014 Commonwealth Games field is wide open. Along with Canada, Wales, South Africa, Singapore, Scotland, Nigeria, New Zealand and the Bahamas have mentioned an interest in the possibility of hosting the games.

Arctic Winter Games too big?

February 24, 2004 

The Arctic Winter games have come a long way since 1970 and the first games in Yellowknife, with 500 athletes from Alaska, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

This years games are expecting over 2000 athletes and thousands more coaches, administrators, journalists and spectators from Alaska, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Northern Alberta, Greenland, Magadan (Russia), Nunavik-Quebec, Nunavut, Chukotka, Yamal-Nenets (Russia) and Sami, from northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia.

Tom O'Hara, the 2004 Arctic Winter Games general manager has said that it might be time now to consider putting limits on the size of the games.

 Issues such as fundraising, food, sleeping arrangements and  volunteers are all becoming more difficult with the increased number of participants for the small towns and cities that host the games. 

February 18, 2004

Rendez-Vous 2006 has now announced that the Labatt Breweries is the new sponsor for their 2006 games. 

The group announced that they had signed a sponsor at the end of January, but were not prepared to reveal the name until this week. 

Labatt will provide funding for the next three years.  The sponsorship is the first private sponsor signed by the games. The rest of the supporters have been government or government related sources such as the the Canadian federal Government, the Province of Quebec, City of Montreal, Tourism Montreal, and the Canadian Broadcasting Company. 

North American Indigenous Games Update

February 7, 2004

The North American Indigenous Games Council have settled on a three year interval for holding the North American Indigenous Games, and have decided to begin a plan that alternates the games between Canada and the US every three years.

The games began in 1990 and to date, four of the five editions have been held in Canada, with intervals of three, two, two, and five years. The 1999 games were to be held in Fargo, North Dakota, but were cancelled, leaving a five year gap between the 1997 and 2002 editions.

Buffalo, New York has already been named the 2005 North American Indigenous Games host, and the bidding has been opened for the 2008 games. The NAIG council received four intents to bid, from Windsor-Essex County, Ontario; Kahnawake-Montreal, Quebec; Regina Saskatchewan and from British Columbia.

Three cities in British Columbia, Cowichan on Vancouver Island, Chilliwack and Kamloops in the interior are hoping to be chosen as the BC representative next month.

The NAIG council is scheduled to choose the 2008 host sometime in the fall of 2004.

Rendez-Vous 2006 to gain a sponsor

January 30, 2004

With volleys still going back and forth between the Federation of Gay Games and the Montreal group that broke away to host their own event Rendez-Vous 2006, the Montreal Gazette reports that RV 2006 has landed a large private sponsor that will go a long way towards funding the games.

Montreal and the FGG split over the financial details of organizing the 2006 Gay Games.

The name of the sponsor will not be revealed until late in February.

The Montreal group has also hosted meetings to discuss founding an alternative international sports organization that would operate differently than the Federation of Gay Games. Another meeting of the group is scheduled to be held in March, in Boston to further the discussion.

Bring on the Arctic Winter Games!

January 24, 2004

Fort Mc Murray and the Wood Buffalo Region of Northern Alberta are ready and waiting expectantly for the opening of the 2004 Arctic Winter Games. Opening ceremonies have been set for February 28, with event competition starting on February 29.

Such is the demand for tickets for the opening ceremony that a lottery has been instituted in Fort McMurray.  The randomly drawn winners from the lottery will have the opportunity to buy tickets. 

Games co-chairman John Wilson has said that almost every hotel is booked solid during the period of the games and that everything is ready for the games. Some 200 members of the media from various foreign countries are expected for the games.

The games organizers have met their $6.1 million dollar budget goal, staff, volunteers, and venues are ready.  Various city departments, fire and police, and the local airport and transportation authorities have also completed their preparations 

Games merchandise has been very popular in the lead up to the games.

Organizers are hoping for a 13-15 million (cdn) economic boost from the games.

Plot thickens in Gay Games soap opera

January 22, 2004

While interested parties gathered in Montreal to discuss the formation of a group other than the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) to organize gay and lesbian sporting events across the globe, the Sydney Star Observer newspaper was reporting just how close Sydney came to canceling the 2002 edition of the games.

A small group, calling itself a Think Tank, met in Montreal last week and has decided to move forward with creating a group that will organize sports events but not necessarily compete with the FGG.

Richard Cobden part of the FGG board responded that the new group would be “a puppet organization set up by Montreal’s PR spin machine to give a veneer of credibility in the lead-up to their games”.

The rift stems from disagreements over how to go about planning for the 2006 Gay Games in Montreal. After long negotiations, a contract agreement was not reached, and the FGG withdrew its sanction from the Montreal group to organize the official 2006 Gay Games. The Montreal group has said that it will continue on, and hold their own games, called Rendez-vous 2006.

Meanwhile, one of the events that led up to the disagreement with Montreal was being discussed by Roberto Mantaci, co-president of the FGG. Communicating with the Sydney Star Observer this past week, Mantaci talked of "a crucial 24-hour period where everything almost fell apart” a month before the Sydney Games opening ceremony while another source spoke of four different occasions when cancellation was being seriously considered. The Star observer reported that and another director traveled to Montreal to participate in last weekend’s think tank but were not allowed to be a part of the meetings.

According to the FGG, Sydney had overestimated the numbers of participants, and had plans that were too large and too expensive for the number of athletes planning to be at the games, and the amount of money that the Sydney organizers had been able to raise. The Federation was trying to work with Montreal to avoid a similar situation and scale back the games. Montreal organizers felt that the way to be financially viable was to grow the games much bigger than Sydney's games.

The 2002 games were the fourth in a row to lose money, according to the FGG.

Full field for 2009 World Masters Games race

January 17, 2004

Several cities, including Copenhagen, Denmark; Montreal, Canada; Munich, Germany; Shiga Prefecture, Japan, and Sydney, Australia are in the running for the 2009 World Masters Games.

Canada, Denmark and Australia have already hosted the games. 

Both the Shiga bid website and the IMGA web site are listing participation figures for past games that are above figures formerly reported.  For instance, the 1998 Portland World Masters Games were reported at the time to have had some 11,000 participants, well under what organizers had hoped for, in part due to very high registration fees. Now, the IMGA reports that 25,000 athletes were present at both the 1998 games and the 2002 games in Melbourne.  

Both Shiga (if they win the bid) and the 2005 games host, Edmonton, are using the figures to optimistically project large economic impacts from the games. 

New Delegations for 2004 Arctic Winter Games

January 7, 2004

A competition that began with just three partners, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Alaska, continues to grow, with two new delegations set to appear at this years Arctic Winter Games in   Wood Buffalo, Northern Alberta.

Arctic winter games observers have been waiting for the day when the rest of the arctic beyond North America, Greenland and Russia would be represented at the games. Now the time as come. Team Sami, made up of indigenous Sami who reside in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia, will be making their first appearance at the games, and athletes from the Yamal-Nenets district in Russia will be forming a team for the first time. 

After Yukon, Alaska and the Northwest Territories began the games in 1970, other regions have slowly joined in.  Now Greenland, Magadan, Nunavut, and Nunavik-Quebec also send teams. 

Games organizers have asked residents of Wood Buffalo to leave their Christmas light on their homes, and be ready to display them during the games, February 28 to March 6 to help create a festive atmosphere for the games.  The lighting project is similar to the one employed by the city of Hyderabad at last years Afro-Asian Games which used the lights of the Dasara festival as part of their decorative scheme for the games.

Arctic Winter Games organizers have said that ticket sales for the games to date have been very good and the town is showing its support for the games by wearing games gear every Friday from now until the games. 

Hamilton to look at University Games bid?

January 4, 2004

Government officials in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada are re-grouping after their loss in the race to land the 2010 Commonwealth Games and are hinting at a possible attempt to bid for the 2009 World University Games.

Hamilton Mayor Larry Di Ianni met with Peter George, President of McMaster University's last month to discuss possible University games options.

Most of the motivation for the bid is to attempt to tap into funding that the government had said it would provide, if Hamilton won the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Hamilton officials are hoping that money may still be available, and that they might be able to get some, whether they get a major sport event or not.

Government officials are citing the precedent of Toronto, which lost the 2008 Olympic bid, but was given $1.5 billion (cdn) anyway for a waterfront development project.

Three Canadians named to the International Commonwealth Games Federation

December 11, 2003 

Three Canadians have been elected to the Commonwealth Games Federation.
 
Bruce Robertson will serve as Vice-President of the Commonwealth Games Federation. Mr. Robertson has been the federation's Regional Vice-President for the Americas Region since 1995 and the chair of both the Marketing and Games Coordination committees. 
 
Judy Kent, President of Commonwealth Games Canada from
1994-1998, and Chef de Mission for Team Canada at the games in Victoria (1994) has been elected as a member of the Sports Committee.

Trevino Betty has been appointed as the Athlete Representative by the CGF. He competed in athletics for Canada in the 1994 and 1998 Commonwealth Games, and was on the silver medal 4 x100m relay team at both the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the 1999 Pan American Games.

Also, earlier this month, Doctor Ross Outerbridge was named chef de mission of the Canadian team for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia.

Outerbridge, was a team physician at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria and chief medical officer at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England.

Keyano College will be Arctic Winter Games hub 

December 10, 2003

Fort McMurray Alberta's Keyano College will become the centerpiece of the 2004 Arctic Winter Games when the games arrive in town Feb. 28 to March 6th.

The colleges' staff will serve as hosts for athletes, and classrooms will be turned into temporary dormitories for the games village.  One games event, Dene sports, will be held in the Keyano Theater on campus.

The college will also be the location for accreditation, food service and security.

Arrangements have been made for most of the Keyano students to be away from school the week of the games.

Federation of Gay Games gives deadline for new bids

November 19, 2003

With the withdrawal of Montreal as the host of the next Gay Games in 2006, the Federation of Gay Games has opened up the bid process once again.

Cities will have until December 1st to decide whether they want to bid for the games. So far only two cities from the previous bid race, Chicago and Los Angeles, are considering bidding. Atlanta has already notified the Federation that they will not enter the race.

The bid process will then take about three months with the new 2006 Gay Games host city announced on or around March 1, 2004. This would give the new host a very short window of time to work with, as the Federation has stated that they plan to hold to the quadrennial schedule and hold the games in 2006.

Did Canada Break Commonwealth Games bidding rules?

November 17, 2003

Mihir Bose of the London Telegraph is reporting that the Canadians, who had pointed fingers at India, accusing them of breaking the bidding rules in the race for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, reportedly broke the rules themselves.

Bose has reported that Commonwealth Games Federation secretary general Louise Martin said that Canada broke the rules when they updated their bid regarding an offer to provide training scholarships, but did not inform the Federation first of the change.

Martin also said that the Indians did nothing wrong, " It was all above board and as per our rules."

India's NOC President Suresh Kalmadi reported that the Canadians apologized for the incident and remarks before the delegations had left Jamaica.

Sniping begins immediately after Commonwealth Games vote

November 15, 2003

Sources in Jamaica report that the response from the Canadian delegation was not exactly sporting after Hamilton lost the 2010 Commonwealth Games bid to New Delhi. Garfield Myers of the Jamaica Observer described the Canadians as "bitter."

Both bids offered travel and training stipends to each of the Commonwealth Games nations, a strategy that is allowed according to Commonwealth Games Federation rules.

The bid for the bid turned into a bidding war it seems, when Canada offered 3.8 million dollars to be used for training stipends, which was countered by the Indians with a 7.2 million dollar offer for stipends, or $100,000 to each Commonwealth nation. The money would be distributed through the Commonwealth Games Federation at the close of the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Hamilton bid chairman Jagoda Pike, though admitting that the offer was well within the rules, still came to the seemingly contradictory conclusion that the move was unethical, and said that the Canadians would be asking the Commonwealth Games Federation to change the rules. Pike also complained that India had been playing games with the rules for some time.

The Commonwealth Games Federation did say that they would take a look at the rules, but stated again that India had not broken any rules.

Indian National Olympic Committee President Suresh Kalmadi said "this is a great moment for sport and for India. I am immensely proud of the work that has been done by our team. Their inspired effort and commitment has carried this bid forward, ensuring that we delivered a bid was the best for India, the best for the respective national associations, but most importantly, the best for the athletes."

Kalmadi then said that preparations to host the 2010 Games would begin immediately, or as soon as the bid organization had recovered from their celebration.

Toronto jumping the gun on 2014 Commonwealth games bid

Editorial: Daniel Bell

November 13, 2003

Before the body of the Hamilton Commonwealth Games bid was even cold, civic promoters in neighboring Toronto had already begun talking up a possible 2014 Commonwealth bid. 

While newspapers around the globe were congratulating Delhi with headlines such as "India wins bid to host 2010 Commonwealth Games" and "New Delhi to stage 2010 Commonwealth Games,"  the Toronto Star announced the results, "Hamilton loses Commonwealth games bid."

Theorizing had begun in Ontario two weeks before the 2010 vote that a Hamilton loss for the 2010 games would bode well for a Toronto victory for 2014. 

Commonwealth Games officials in Canada said that any serious bidding for the next Commonwealth Games would not start for over a year. 

When the bidding does start in earnest, Toronto may likely find that a 2014 bid is not the sure thing that they seem to think it will be. 

South Africa, Scotland, Wales and New Zealand are all said to be giving serious consideration to a run for the games in 2014.

The very same argument that decided the 2010 games vote, that the games should go to other countries, might very well still be in play when the time comes for the 2014 vote.

Nineteen of the current seventy-two Commonwealth nations are from Africa. The Commonwealth Games have never been to Africa.

Canada is already due to host the following games during the period from 2004 to 2010.

Pan American Deaf Youth Games, Montreal,  2004

Arctic Winter Games, Wood Buffalo, 2004

Can-Am Police-Fire Games, London, ON, 2004

World Masters Games, Edmonton, 2005

World Transplant Games, London, ON, 2005

World Police and Fire Games, Quebec City, 2005

Millennium Winter Senior Games Canmore, 2005

Millennium Summer Senior Games Calgary, 2005

ISF Gymnasiade, Sherbrooke, 2006

Rendezvous 2006, Montreal, 2006

Arctic Winter Games, NW Territories, 2008

World Police and Fire Games, Vancouver, 2009

Winter Paralympic Games, Vancouver, 2010

Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, 2010

Canada is also exploring a bid for the 2009 World University Games.

One reasonable theory is that all of this games experience makes Canada a safe bet for hosting other games.

The competing theory however remains, that games, and the benefits that are said to accrue from them, need to go to other places around the world.

Delhi crushes Hamilton in 2010 Commonwealth Games vote

November 13, 2003

Delhi, India has been selected by the Commonwealth Games Federation as the host city for the 2010 Commonwealth Games by an overwhelming 46 to 22 margin over Hamilton.

It was the second large games awarded to India today, as the CISM had earlier announced that the 2007 Military World Games would be hosted by Hyderabad, India.  It is thought to be the first time that two large games (other than the Paralympic Games and Olympic Games which are now awarded on the same day to the same city) have been given to a single nation on the same day.

India's Commonwealth bid organizers had argued strongly for the past year that the games should go to new regions of the world, as opposed to being shared essentially by Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Hamilton, Canada, the other city in the running for the games, and the city where the first Commonwealth Games (then known as the British Empire Games) were held, was hoping that nostalgia, and an argument that Canada could simply organize the games more efficiently and safely, would win the bid.

India's final push for the games included hosting the Afro-Asian Games this past month, just weeks before the 2010 vote.

Delhi had bid unsuccessfully for the Commonwealth Games in 1990 and 1994.

Commonwealth Games host cities:

1930 Hamilton, Canada

1934 London, England

1938 Sydney, Australia

1950 Auckland, New Zealand

1954 Vancouver, Canada

1958 Cardiff, Wales

1962 Perth, Australia

1966 Kingston, Jamaica

1970 Edinburgh, Scotland

1974 Christchurch, New Zealand

1978 Edmonton, Canada

1982 Brisbane, Australia

1986 Edinburgh, Scotland

1990 Auckland, New Zealand

1994 Victoria, Canada

1998 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2002 Manchester, England

Melbourne, Australia won the 2006 bid by default when the rest of the competitors dropped out.

Montréal and Federation of Gay Games to part ways

November 11, 2003

The Federation of Gay Games gave Montréal Gay Games organizers until 1 PM Wednesday to decide whether they would agree to stipulations that the Federation is trying to put into place, over the size and the budget of the games.

Montréal 2006 didn't need the extra time, and announced later on Tuesday that they would be heading forward with their own games in Montréal in 2006, without the sanction of the Gay Games.

The Federation had reached out to Montréal by saying that they would give up their right to any share of a post-games surplus and had voted 40-4 with two abstentions, in favor of the motion.

The two sides have been waging a public battle for several weeks and were meeting in Chicago at the Federations annual meeting to try and work out an agreement.

To date, disputes over the size and scope of the games had meant that the actual contracts and license fees for the games had gone unsigned, and unpaid.

With Montréal organizers defiantly stating that they will host their own games in 2006, calling the games Rendez-Vous Montréal 2006, Sport and Cultural Festival, the Federation of Gay Games has several issues to decide, such as whether to choose a new host city, and whether or not to host games in 2006 or 2007.

The issue could end up in the courts over the rights to host the games.

Montréal's Gay Gay Games bid history:

November 25, 1997 - Montréal is one of four cities that lose to Sydney, Australia for the 2002 Gay Games bid.

October, 2001 at Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, Montréal is selected over Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles. The bid drew immediate criticism when during their final bid presentation, the Montréal presenters waived a $100,000 check in front of the selectors, saying it was the down payment for the license fee.

April 2003 - Games contracts still not signed

June 24, 2003 - Montréal agrees to some reductions in the size of the games, but not enough to please the Federation of Gay Games.

October 17, 2003 - A press release from Montréal organizers says the impasse between Montréal 2006 and the FGG has reached a "crisis." Disagreements are leaked publicly over several weeks. The Federation and Montréal organizers agree to meet in Chicago in November at the Federation's annual meeting to work out their differences.

November 10, 2003 - After long discussions in Chicago, the Federation of Gay Games issues both an ultimatum, and some concessions, giving Montréal 2006 unto November 12th to agree and sign contracts.

November 11 - Montréal 2006 decides it will no longer negotiate with the Federation of Gay Games, and will plan to host their own games, without sanction.

Gay Games negotiations stalled

November 9, 2003

The disagreement over the scope, budget and control of the direction of the 2006 Gay Games went unresolved today as the Federation of Gay Games and Montréal 2006, the organization planning the 2006 games met in Chicago at the Federation's annual meetings.

Montréal was awarded the games in 2001 but certain contracts have gone unsigned because of basic disagreements over how many athletes should be included in the games and how much can be raised and should be spent.  Montréal 2006 wants as many as 24,000 participants to play in the games. The federation wants the games limited to 12,000.

After today's meetings, Montréal 2006 released a statement saying that the federation has now placed new demands on the negotiations, and no progress was made on the current issues on the table.

Monday, the negotiators from the federation will give its report to the federation members.

Montréal 2006 has mentioned on several occasions that no matter what the federation decides, there will be games held in Montréal in 2006, with or without the sanction of the Federation of Gay Games.

The split, with competing games, could serve to be the beginning of the end for the troubled games, which have lost money the last four times they have been held.

Gay Games feud continues

November 5, 2003

The Federation of Gay Games and Montréal 2006, the organization that won the bid to host the 2006 Gay Games, have continued to debate details of the organization and funding of the games.

Montréal 2006 has insisted that they need a total of 15,540 registered paying participants to break even, and have released several press releases over the past two weeks with statements they claim show that worldwide support for the games will reach that level.

The Federation of Gay Games, on the other hand,  having watched the last four Gay Games run deficits, is hoping to put an end to the string, and is urging Montréal 2006 to scale back its numbers and expectations.

The disagreement has reached an impasse to the point where the Federation of Gay Games has said it will take the Games away from Montréal and re-award them.  Montréal says no matter what happens, Montréal will have games in 2006, with or without the Federation.

The issues are scheduled to be decided during the 2003 Federation of Gay Games annual meetings in Chicago November 8 through November 14.

Federation of Gay Games and Montréal organizers still bickering over 2006 Games

October 17, 2003

The organizing committee of the 2006 Gay Games in Montréal and the Federation of Gay Games are still at odds over the fundamental "vision" of the 2006 games.

A press release issued by the Montréal organizers (Montréal 2006) has stated that the situation is now a "crisis."

Montréal organizers have created a plan that would have the games be not only the largest Gay Games in history, but with some 24,000 participants, one of the largest multisport and cultural gatherings ever held.

Organizers have gathered commitments for some 5 million dollars in funding, as well as a television contract to have the games opening ceremony televised live by CBC.

However, the Federation of Gay Games, afraid that the budget for the games will spiral out of control, has demanded that the budget be scaled back from 20 to 16 million dollars (cdn) and the projected number of participants be dropped to 16,000. Montréal 2006 is adamant that to break even on the games and attract more sponsorship, the numbers need to be higher. The two sides are also in dispute over who will control the spending of that money.

Montréal 2006 has asked for arbitration over the matter. The Federation has so far refused. The matter will be high on the list of priorities for the Federation's annual meeting next month in Chicago.

The report also leans towards recommendations that would favor cities in Eastern Canada bidding for games, noting that Victoria (1994 Commonwealth Games) Winnipeg (1999 Pan American Games) and Edmonton (2001 World Championships in Athletics) all benefited from those events with upgraded facilities and some financial benefits.

Spain tops IBSA Games medals table

August 13, 2003

Athletes from 40 nations won medals at the second IBSA World Games for the Blind, held in Quebec City, Canada.

Spain, hosts of the first games in Madrid in 1998, retained their spot on top of the medals table. In 1998 Spain won 29 gold, 30 silver and 22 bronze. In 2003 Spain won the same number of gold, 29, 36 silver and 26 bronze.

Canada, second in Madrid, (12 G, 6 S, 6 B ) was also second in Quebec City (21 G, 8 S, 11 B ).

No news on when or where a third edition of the IBSA World Championships and Games for the Blind will be held.

Commonwealth Commission to visit bid cities

July 25, 2003

The Commonwealth Games Federation Evaluation
Commission will be traveling to Hamilton, Canada and New Delhi, India in the next two weeks to make final evaluations of each cities bids for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

After four days in Hamilton, the commission will hold a public news conference at McMaster University, July 31 to discuss its observations during its visit.

The Commission will then leave directly for New Delhi, to make similar observations.  

Money woes force cutbacks in Pan-Am Television

July 18, 2003

Reduced and missed payments from the organizing committee to CBC has forced the Canadian television network to cut back on its Pan American Games television coverage.

CBC almost walked away from the entire broadcast according to Alan Clark, CBC's the executive producer for the games. CBC instead insisted that the contract be renegotiated.

CBC has only been paid about 80 percent of the contract and is not certain if or when the contract will be paid in full.

The entire broadcast has been reduced, fewer hours of coverage, fewer events, and less time spent on live coverage. Live coverage of the softball final, gymnastics and track cycling have been pulled. See cbc.ca for Pan Am TV schedule updates.

In other Pan American Games developments, security officials from Cuba and the United States have been assigned to provide additional security at Santo Domingo's Las American International Airport, and the head of the organizing committee, Dr. José Joaquín Puello, has asked that Unions and other groups refrain from staging protests during the games. "We cannot allow the participants to have a bad experience in our country. We have plenty of time to meet and resolve our problems, but not in the midst of the Games," said Puello.

Vancouver 2010. Some happy, some not

July 3, 2003

With the vote for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games finally over, like any decision these days, some were happy others not.

Business and government interests in Vancouver, Whistler, Victoria and even Seattle were happy, expecting a tourist dollar bonanza.

The news made people smile as far away as India, who postulated that giving the 2010 Winter Olympic Games to Vancouver would make it easier for New Delhi to win the 2010 bid for the Commonwealth Games. Hamilton, Canada is the only opponent. India is guessing that these two games will not be awarded to one nation in the same year.

The argument may not be that simple. In 2003, Korea will hold both the Asian Winter Games and Summer World University Games, and Italy will hold both the 2003 World Military Games and the Winter World University Games. Beirut, Lebanon is scheduled to host the 2009 Francophone Games and Asian Winter Games.

On the other hand other parties were not as happy, beginning with Salzburg and PyeongChang.

One group, the No Games 2010 Coalition in Vancouver, vowed to be the "watchdog" of the committee, making sure that not too much money would be spent on the games, and stating they would be on the watch for corruption. The coalition had campaigned actively against the games and is concerned about government spending on international sports events while spending is being reduced for public services.

The No 2010 Games Coalition stated that their monitoring will make the games even better, but were saddened because, "the Games do not serve the best interests of all the people of British Columbia. " "The Games promote special-interest groups at the expense of the ordinary citizens."

A final party not pleased by the decision was Quebec's Parti Quebecois Leader Bernard Landry. Landry claimed that Quebec City should have been the 2010 candidate from Canada, or would have won the bid if Quebec had been an independent nation.

"If Quebec had been a sovereign state, probably these Games would have been in Quebec.'' "The selection of Vancouver has probably set back Quebec City's Olympic ambitions for years," Landry said. Quebec lost to Salt Lake city in the 2002 Olympic vote.

Landry congratulated Vancouver but said, "I hope in accordance with my deep creed, that the Quebec national team will be in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver to run under our own colors,'' referring to the dream for Quebec to split from the rest of Canada.

The 2005 World Transplant Games land major sponsor

July 3, 2003

Fujisawa Canada Inc., a subsidiary of a Japanese drug company that makes drugs used by transplant patients, has signed on to help underwrite the London, Ontario, Canada, World Transplant Games for $250,000. 

The Canadian government has promised to provide $500,000 for the budget, Ontario $250,000 and London $100,000. The rest of the estimated $4.3 million ($cdn) will be raised by the organizing body.

Athletes who participate pay fees of $1,100. Some 2000 athletes are expected which could account for about half of the games budget. 

Both of the games co-chairs, Heather Fisher, a nurse, and Janet Brady, a college administrator, are liver transplant recipients, and have competed in several World Transplant Games themselves.

Montréal Reducing Plans for Gay Games

June 24, 2003

The Committee organizing the 2006 Gay Games in Montréal had projected that 19,000 people would participate in the sports events and 5,000 in cultural events at the games. The Federation of Gay Games has told them that the projections are too high and to take another, closer look.

The Federation is concerned about keeping the games viable after losing money on the 1998 Amsterdam and 2002 Sydney games.

Roberto Mantaci,a co-president of the Federation said, "During the startup phase every host is very optimistic about what it can achieve. Sydney had many plans when they bid in 1997 that eventually they could not implement."

Montréal has submitted a new smaller budget for the games. With $2 million (Canadian) in guarantees from the Canadian and Quebec governments the games are ahead of Sydney's fundraising at the same point in time.

China and Canada now cleared, in part, for Special Olympics

June 5, 2003

Some, but not all of the Special Olympians from China and Canada will now be allowed to go to Ireland for the Special Olympics World Games which open on June 21. A ban had been placed on athletes coming from SARS affected nations.

An exception is still in place for athletes from SARS affected areas within such as Beijing, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Toronto. Athletes from those locales are still being asked not to travel.

Singapore and the Philippines, formerly on the list, have been given the go ahead to travel to the games.

Another Games canceled due to SARS

June 3, 2003

This years edition of the Indianapolis-Scarborough Peace Games, scheduled for July 17-20 have been cancelled because of the SARS epidemic.

The games would have been the 31st annual competition between the two sister-cities. Scarborough is a suburb of Toronto, which has suffered a relapse in the number of cases of the SARS virus.

Officials in both Indianapolis and Scarborough are moving forward with plans for the 2004 games.

Last week, the organizers of the CANUSA Games, a competition between the cities of Flint, Michigan and Hamilton, Ontario, said that they were considering canceling their games this year over SARS concerns.

2010 Commonwealth Bids move forward

June 3, 2003

Hamilton, Canada and New Delhi, India both submitted formal bids for the Commonwealth Games in London last week.

Hamilton is proposing a brand-new 42,000 seat stadium a 7,000-seat athletic center and an aquatic center at McMaster University. Hamilton's presentation in London was said to be subdued and businesslike, sticking to the basics of the bid.

New Delhi on the other hand filled their bid with plenty of singing and dancing. Indian newspapers reported confidently the news that the British Government was backing the New Delhi bid, and stated that there were several other countries that preferred the games go to India for the first time, rather than Canada for a fifth time.

Another games expresses concern over SARS

May 30, 2003

Add the CANUSA games to the list of games concerned over possible ramifications from the SARS virus.

The games are held annually between the cities of Hamilton, Ontario and Flint, Michigan.

This year it's Hamilton's turn to host the games. Hamilton is a short one-hour drive from Toronto, a city that has been on and off, and then back on, the World Health Organization's watch list regarding the SARS virus.

Officials and organizers from both cities are concerned, and watchful and have talked about the possibility of having to cancel the games, but for now, the games are still on.

Dozens of sports competitions around the world have been affected by the SARS scare, including multisport games such as the Arafura Games, Inter-Religious Peace Sports Festival and the Special Olympics World Games.

More truth in Bidding?

May 19, 2003

In March, a newspaper in India stated that momentum in the bid for the 2010 Commonwealth Games had swung towards India. In trying to construct an argument that India deserved the games more than Hamilton, Canada, the paper claimed that only Great Britain, Australia and Canada had ever hosted the Commonwealth Games up until 1998, when Kuala Lumpur hosted the games. In fact, New Zealand hosted the games in 1950, 1974 and 1990, and Jamaica the games of 1966.

Now it's Hamilton's turn to try some historical sleight of hand.

Last week, David Adames, the executive director of Tourism Hamilton, and the general manager of Hamilton's 2010 Commonwealth bid stated, "We haven't had a major multisport event in Ontario since the Empire Games were in Hamilton in 1930."

The tenor of the comments were made in the context that Ontario, specifically Hamilton, deserves another Commonwealth Games to have a chance to upgrade facilities that were put in place in 1930, and a chance at the economic impact a games might bring.

But hold on an historical minute. One might quibble over what a "major multisport event" might be, by reputation or stature, but there have been several other sizable multisport events held in Ontario since the Empire Games.

Let's start with the fact that in 1930, for the very first games, the Empire Games were hardly considered to be a major multisport event at the time. It wasn't even certain that the games would be held a second time. Those first Empire Games had just 450 athletes from 11 nations competing in six sports.

Since that time the Paralympics, World Masters Games, Special Olympics World Winter Games, two editions of the International School Children's Games, the Francophone Games and the 2002 International Law Enforcement Games have all been held in the province of Ontario, all with more athletes and nations represented than the very first Empire Games.

Games Held in Ontario

* 5,000 participants were expected for this event ahead of time. (Pre-games figures are usually greatly overestimated.)

** Athletes from at least seven nations participated in these games.

Ontario has also hosted two editions of the Canada Games, in Thunder Bay in 1981, and London, 2001.

In terms of facilities development and economic impact, it is very likely that all of these competitions had a greater impact on the respective host cities than did the very first Empire Games.

Vancouver-Burnaby named 2009 World Police and Fire Games host

April 28, 2003

The 2009 World Police and Fire Games have been awarded to Vancouver/Burnaby, Canada. 

The cities of Vancouver and Burnaby, Tourism Vancouver and the 2010 Winter Olympics Bid Committee worked together to win the bid.

The 2010 Olympic Winter games bid organizers supported the World Police and Fire Games bid in hopes of having an event that would help them test their systems prior to a 2010 Olympics, if they win that bid. 

Montréal 2006 Contracts not yet signed

April 9, 2003

The contracts between the organizers for the 2006 Gay Games and the Federation of Gay Games have not yet been signed according to the Sydney Star Observer.

The federation has asked Montréal to “evaluate very prudently and conservatively the projected income of the event”, avoid a "temptation to excess" and only count guaranteed sources of income.

The Federation wants to avoid at all costs a repeat of the Sydney 2002 Games that ended up several hundred thousand dollars in debt, and will be in the bankruptcy courts for some time.

Federation of Gay Games director Charlie Carson, in a letter to the Sydney Star Observer, said that " thankfully members of Sydney 2002 have been blunt enough to tell Montréal they’re crazy.”

New competition dates for 2005 World Masters Games

March 2003

Organizers of the 2005 World Masters Games in Edmonton have been forced to change their dates of competition to July 22 - 31. The Games were originally scheduled for July 15-24.

The reason, to avoid a conflict with the World Masters Athletic Championships to be held in San Sebastian, Spain July 7-16. We don't know how many Masters athletes will be traveling to both competitions, but there is more than a tinge of irony in the decision.

The World Masters Games, after 1994, and after the first two editions were held in odd-numbered years, moved their dates of competition to the even-numbered years between the Olympic Games. The World Masters Athletics Championships have been held since 1975, every odd-numbered year, without a break.

The International Masters Games Association decided after the 2002 Games to revert back to holding the World Masters Games in the odd years in order to avoid conflicts with "other major competitions", inadvertently for a time, causing a schedule conflict with another major masters competition.

Canada International Games News 2002