2021 Canada Summer Games: Sudbury councillors ponder risks, benefits of bid

Morning North8:39Will Sudbury bid to host Canada Summer Games in 2021?

Greater Sudbury city council will vote on whether or not it will bid to host the Canada Summer Games in 2021. Sports writer and executive director Sportlink, Randy Pascal joined us in studio to talk about the benefits of hosting such an event.

Sudbury city council will decide this week if the advantagesoutweigh the costs of biddingfor the 2021 Canada Summer Games.

As one of the largest sporting events in the country, it would come with thousands of visitors and millions of dollars worth of new infrastructure. It would also bring thousands of young athletes to compete in 18 different sports. But, there would also be a cost totaxpayers.

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A successful Canada Games bid means the threelevels of government would share the cost ofsports facilities worth an estimated$9 million.

Sudbury sports journalist and organizer Randy Pascal saidit's his job to convince city council that the investment will be worth it.

"There will always be the naysayers out there who will jump on the reasons not to host it," said Pascal."But I think it's up to the silent majority, who are involved in local sports, to make a stand on that."

Pascal saidthe Games would raise Sudbury's profile, fill its hotels and restaurantsand leave behind a lasting legacy of sports infrastructure.

City 'has to take the lead'

When Sudbury hosted the 2010 Ontario Summer Games, animproved track complex and artificial turf field were created for the city.

As for the current wishlist forinfrastructure,anew tennis complex, a baseball diamond and a second artificial turf field would likely be near the top of the to-do list, said Pascal.

"I think sometimes we tend to be a little bit more sensitive toliving in town. It's not bad. It's not where we would like it be as a sporting community, there's always things that are going to be on the sporting community wish list," he said.

The co-chair of the 2010 provincialgames, John Roberts, saidhe's been surprised and disappointed that no other events have followed in Sudbury after the Games six years ago.

"The city really has to take the lead in the bidding," said Roberts."Some cases, where nobody [has been]willing to take the reins, have just fallen through."

If council fires the starting gun Tuesday night,the bidding race will begin, with a finish line at the official announcement in spring of 2017.