CGC intends to bid for future Commonwealth Games
May 30, 2008
OTTAWA - Following an extensive review of the failed Halifax 2014 Commonwealth Games bid, Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) announced Friday that the organization intends to bid for a future Commonwealth Games.
The announcement comes at the end of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Executive Board meeting in Ottawa, where earlier this week, CGC and CGF officials met to compare reviews of the 2014 bid.
In March 2007, the City of Halifax, Nova Scotia withdrew its candidacy as host city for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, less than eight months before the final selection by the CGF General Assembly.
Since that time, CGC has been conducting domestic and international reviews of the 2014 bid, and identifying the key success factors for a potential future bid.
“We have completed a very valuable exercise and are now ready to move forward and consider a bid to host a future Games in Canada,” said Dr. Andrew Pipe, President of CGC. “We have learned many lessons from our examination of the Halifax experience, and as an organization will now embark on developing a bid strategy that will ensure success for the next Canadian candidate city.”
The Board of Directors of CGC will discuss the results of the report at their quarterly meeting this weekend and will chart a new hosting protocol for the organization.
“Canada has a special and historic role in the Commonwealth Games movement,” said the Hon. Michael Fennell, President of the CGF. “We have concluded two days of fulsome discussion about the previous bid, and shared valuable lessons around the domestic and international components of the bid processes. We now look forward to Canada bidding for a future Games, possibly as early as 2018.”
With the Federal Government’s recent announcement of an international sports hosting policy, the timing for discussions of future Canadian bids is appropriate. Government officials did not however participate in the two-day debriefing discussions. “We are disappointed that no government representatives were able to attend the forum,” said Dr. Pipe, adding, “We are looking forward to sharing our findings over the coming weeks with our government and sport partners in order to strengthen Canada’s ability to attract future international sporting events to our nation.”
About Commonwealth Games Canada
Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) is a not-for-profit multi-sport organization that is the franchise holder for the Commonwealth Games. Since 1930, CGC has been strengthening sport within Canada and throughout the Commonwealth by participating in the Commonwealth Games and by using sport as a tool for development.
For further information about Team Canada, the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games, 2010 Commonwealth Games or our International Development through Sport programs, please visit our web site at www.commonwealthgames.ca.
For more information, please contact:
John Bower
Manager of Communications
Commonwealth Games Association of Canada
613 244-6868 Ext. 230
819 921-8149 (Cell)
john@commonwealthgames.ca
