The Canada Summer Games are quickly approaching in Niagara, and a $655,000 grant has been announced for training and testing equipment for athletes.
The grant is coming from the Niagara Community Foundation's David S. Howes Fund, and will supply all of the high-performance training and testing equipment at the new Sport Performance Centre inside the Walker Sports and Abilities Centre in Thorold, across from Brock University.
The 6,000 square foot sport performance centre will officially be named the David S. Howes Sport Performance Centre in honour of the donation.
The funding will help the facility become the first regional training centre of the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario (CSIO).
Set to begin operating after the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games, the centre will provide world-leading sport services and programs, and will be managed by a new legacy organization called Sport Niagara, that will be established following the Games.
"We would like to thank the Niagara Community Foundation and the David S. Howes Fund for this extremely generous grant," said Doug Hamilton, Board Chair of the Niagara 2022 Host Society. "One of the pillars of Niagara's bid for the Canada Games was to create a lasting legacy for sport in Niagara, and this grant will go a long way to helping us to accomplish that. The David S. Howes Sport Performance Centre will be a game changer for Niagara's athletes that are pursuing their dreams in sport".
In total, more than 5,000 participants and close to 4,500 volunteers are expected to take part in the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games scheduled for August 6-21, 2022.
Tickets for this summer's Games are currently available for purchase online.