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This article was published 08/01/2021 (1787 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Manitoba Summer Games, originally scheduled for 2020 but pushed to 2021, has officially been cancelled.
Sport Manitoba announced the decision on Dec. 10.
“When we met prior to Christmas, we just knew that there’s no way we’re going to be able to bring 1,800 athletes together and put them into schools and into villages,” said Patrick Kirby, Sport Manitoba’s interim director of sport.
Dauphin, Man. expected to host the competition from Aug. 9 to 15 last year. Due to the pandemic, organizers pushed the dates back to July 11 through 17 in 2021.
The City of Dauphin is now slated to hold the Games in the summer of 2024.
“You re-plan and relook at things, and move things ahead, and it’s been frustrating,” Kirby said. “Hopefully it’s not going to be for naught. It’s just unfortunate with all the planning (Dauphin has) done, it’s not going to happen (this year).”
The cancellation is a blow for athletes that planned to participate, Kirby said.
“They’ve lost that opportunity to do a multi-sport games, unfortunately, and that’s sad.”
Youths aged 10 to 17 participate in the Manitoba Games. The competition can prepare athletes for higher level competitions, like the Canada Games and international events.
Athletes come from all over the province. There are four rural teams, representing the north, east, west and south, and there are two groups from Winnipeg.
The Manitoba Games follows the same schedule as the Olympic Games: summer games happen every four years, and winter games happen every four years, with two-year gaps between the different seasons’ events.
Hosting the Games is a big affair. Host communities (or a cluster of communities) usually have a population of at least 3,000. They need sports complexes, funding, volunteers, a good transportation plan, and schools and space to hold athletes and attendees.
The City of Dauphin had about 300 to 400 volunteers already lined up; however, they would’ve needed up to 500 more to host the Games, Kirby said. Before organizers started recruiting, they wanted to know whether the event would happen this summer. That’s why Sport Manitoba called it off in December, Kirby said.
Another concern was sponsorship.
“With everything shut down… (Dauphin) would have a hard time knocking on doors, asking for businesses to contribute dollars for a sponsorship package,” Kirby said.
In 2024, hopefully things will be better, he said — Dauphin will still be able to showcase itself, but to a different set of athletes. The city’s key planning team said they’ll work on the future games if there isn’t a pandemic, Kirby said.
Now, Sport Manitoba is working with the province and the Town of Niverville on the 2022 winter games. Kirby said he hopes to know by fall whether the winter games can go on.
“We’re going to have to work with all the health and government departments to see if we can bring everyone from across the province to Niverville,” he said. “We’ve got our fingers crossed that we’ll be in a better state than we are today.”
The Manitoba Summer Games, originally scheduled for 2020 but pushed to 2021, has officially been cancelled.
Sport Manitoba announced the decision on Dec. 10.
The City of Dauphin will now host the Manitoba Summer Games in 2024. Originally, it had planned to host in 2020. Pictured above, organizers and kids at the official announcement that Dauphin would host the 2020 Manitoba Games at Dauphin’s city hall, taken on Jan. 9, 2019. (PHOTO BY SPORT MANITOBA)
“When we met prior to Christmas, we just knew that there’s no way we’re going to be able to bring 1,800 athletes together and put them into schools and into villages,” said Patrick Kirby, Sport Manitoba’s interim director of sport.
Dauphin, Man. expected to host the competition from Aug. 9 to 15 last year. Due to the pandemic, organizers pushed the dates back to July 11 through 17 in 2021.
The City of Dauphin is now slated to hold the Games in the summer of 2024.
“You re-plan and relook at things, and move things ahead, and it’s been frustrating,” Kirby said. “Hopefully it’s not going to be for naught. It’s just unfortunate with all the planning (Dauphin has) done, it’s not going to happen (this year).”
The cancellation is a blow for athletes that planned to participate, Kirby said.
“They’ve lost that opportunity to do a multi-sport games, unfortunately, and that’s sad.”
Youths aged 10 to 17 participate in the Manitoba Games. The competition can prepare athletes for higher level competitions, like the Canada Games and international events.
Athletes come from all over the province. There are four rural teams, representing the north, east, west and south, and there are two groups from Winnipeg.
The Manitoba Games follows the same schedule as the Olympic Games: summer games happen every four years, and winter games happen every four years, with two-year gaps between the different seasons’ events.
Hosting the Games is a big affair. Host communities (or a cluster of communities) usually have a population of at least 3,000. They need sports complexes, funding, volunteers, a good transportation plan, and schools and space to hold athletes and attendees.
The City of Dauphin had about 300 to 400 volunteers already lined up; however, they would’ve needed up to 500 more to host the Games, Kirby said. Before organizers started recruiting, they wanted to know whether the event would happen this summer. That’s why Sport Manitoba called it off in December, Kirby said.
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“With everything shut down… (Dauphin) would have a hard time knocking on doors, asking for businesses to contribute dollars for a sponsorship package,” Kirby said.
In 2024, hopefully things will be better, he said — Dauphin will still be able to showcase itself, but to a different set of athletes. The city’s key planning team said they’ll work on the future games if there isn’t a pandemic, Kirby said.
Now, Sport Manitoba is working with the province and the Town of Niverville on the 2022 winter games. Kirby said he hopes to know by fall whether the winter games can go on.
“We’re going to have to work with all the health and government departments to see if we can bring everyone from across the province to Niverville,” he said. “We’ve got our fingers crossed that we’ll be in a better state than we are today.”
