Canadian Retailer - Fall 2016 - 35

SPONSOR PARTNERSHIPS

That makes the Canada Games the largest multi-sport event
for stars of the future and a premium sponsorship opportunity
for companies who want to support their dreams.
Since 1967, when an 18-year-old Toller Cranston won a gold
medal in figure skating, many of Canada's premier athletes have
catapulted their careers in the Canada Games. They include Sidney Crosby and Cassie Campbell (hockey), Angela Bailey and
Andre De Grasse (athletics), Lennox Lewis (boxing), Steve Nash
(basketball) and Eugenie Bouchard (tennis).
"I am inspired by the impossible. I believe there are no limits
to what someone can do and pushing those limits is what I aim to
do," says Katie Vincent, a 20-year-old sprint canoe/kayak athlete
from Mississauga, Ontario. "My hero is Adam van Koeverden
(flagbearer for the Canadian team in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games). He has been one of the best athletes in the world for
about as long as I have been alive. Having that much success for
such a long period of time is very inspiring to me."
Eyes of the Nation

The 2017 Canada Games will attract the eyes of the nation
with 16 popular sports: athletics (track and field events), baseball, basketball, canoe/kayak, cycling (road and mountain), diving, golf, rowing, sailing, soccer, softball, swimming (including
open water swimming), tennis, triathlon, volleyball (beach and
indoor), and wrestling.
Over 250 events will be staged in high-quality venues in and
around Winnipeg, as well as at the Gimli Yacht Club (sailing) on
the edge of expansive Lake Winnipeg and in Kenora, Ontario
(rowing) on picturesque Rabbit Lake. The main athletes' village
will be located in the University of Manitoba campus, which-at
140 years of age-is almost as historic as our country.
Many sites have been built or enhanced to meet world-class
standards. They include the new Bison Butte Mountain Bike
Course at FortWhyte Alive, which-when finished-will be the
first such venue to meet national standards in central Canada.
This challenging course features a series of interlocking trails
and includes berms, a pump track, rock gardens and table tops.
The newly created Sargent Park Beach Volleyball Centre will accommodate 10 permanent courts after the Games. All venues reprewww.retailcouncil.org/cdnretailer

sent excellent platforms for brand awareness and
providing information on products or services.
"Potential partners and sponsors of the 2017
Canada Games will have the opportunity associated with a signature event in Canada's
150th birthday celebrations and remembered as
strong supporters of athletic excellence in our
country," says Jeff Hnatiuk, President and CEO
of the 2017 Canada Games. "We have been busy
building legacy facilities so that athletes and
fans can create memorable experiences."
Party on the Prairies

While sports are the primary focus of the
2017 Canada Games, they are by no means its
only component. A free 10-day festival is also
planned that will feature cultural performances
by artists from across the country.
The party will get started with opening ceremonies on Friday, July 28, 2017, at the MTS Centre, Winnipeg's premier indoor event venue.
Home to the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets and American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose, the centre has hosted thousands
of concerts, sporting events, award shows and
receptions since its opening in 2004.
Closing ceremonies will take place on August 13, 2017, at Investors Group Field, home of
the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue
Bombers and site of major sporting events, out-

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