COMMONWEALTH GAMES CANADA ELECTS NEW BOARD

November 24, 2014, Ottawa  – Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) has elected a new Board of Directors at its AGM in Ottawa, while determining its areas of focus for 2015, Canada’s Year of Sport. The following are the new members of the Board of Directors elected by the CGC’s Members at the AGM:

                           
Returning to the CGC Board of Directors is Linda Cuthbert. Bruce Robertson (Vice-President, Commonwealth Games Federation) and Suzanne Weckend Dill (Athlete Representative, Commonwealth Games Federation) continue to be guests of the Board of Directors as they occupy CGF Executive positions.

New President Richard Powers, currently the National Academic Director of Governance Programs for the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, is also Rugby Canada’s sport representative to the Canadian Olympic Committee and has a background as a corporate lawyer. “I am honoured to have been elected President of Commonwealth Games Canada”, he stated. “This organization has made significant contributions to the Canadian sports community, and I look forward to continuing our work in that regards, as well as supporting Edmonton’s exciting bid for the 2022 Games.”

The CGC paid tribute to its outgoing President, Dr. Andrew Pipe, who had been at the helm of the organization for the past two quadrennials. Dr. Pipe, the Chief of Prevention and Rehabilitation at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, is a very well respected sport leader in Canada and internationally, and was given a standing ovation in thanks for his work with CGC.

Highlights of the Annual General Meeting included:

Team Canada 2014

The organization celebrated Canada’s achievements at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last July, highlighting the top 3 placement among 71 nations competing, and the fact that this was the country’s largest ever team ever at a non-home Games, with 265 athletes representing 16 sports on the Team.

Edmonton 2022

Commonwealth Games Canada continues to work with and support Edmonton’s bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The city, which hosted the Games in 1978, is up against Durban, South Africa, In a competition that will be decided on  September 2, 2015. This would be the 5th time that the Games come to Canada, with Hamilton the host of the first ever Games in 1930 (then known as the British Empire Games).  

V Commonwealth Youth Games – Samoa

The 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games, the fifth edition of this event, will be held in Samoa in early September. Canada will send a team of close to 65 athletes, competing in seven sports. Samoa, a small island in the Central Pacific, expects a total of up to 1,000 athletes to compete, with representation from all 71 Commonwealth Games Associations.

SportWORKS

In 2015, Commonwealth Games Canada will send 15 interns for four month work placements to a number of Commonwealth countries. These SportWORKS Officers help build sport capacity and programming. This is a very high impact program and will be a priority for the CGC in its international development through sport activities.

ABOUT COMMONWEALTH GAMES CANADA

Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) is the international franchise holder for the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth movement in Canada, and an active, contributing member of the Canadian sport community. The mission of CGC is to strengthen sport within Canada and throughout the Commonwealth by participating in the Commonwealth Games and by using sport as a development tool. Visit www.commonwealthgames.ca for information.

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For additional information or interview requests:

Sylvie Bigras
Communications – Commonwealth Games Canada
613 298 1625
sylvie@magma.ca