Renfrew County prepares for the Ontario Winter Games

In just a weeks time, starting Feb. 2, Renfrew County is hosting the Ontario Winter Games after it was postponed due to the pandemic in early 2022.

Held every two years, the Ontario Winter Games is the largest multi-sport event in the province. Started in 1970 intended to highlight Ontario's young amateur athletes, today the Games feature over 3,000 athletes across more than 20 sports.

This years Games will bring in approximately 2,300 athletes and their coaches and trainers to Renfrew County, potentially bringing in around $6 million for the local economy.

“We're spending approximately $1.8 million on accommodations, transportation, food supplies,” said Renfrew County Warden Peter Emon on Wake Up with Rob Snow. “I think that's a very reasonable number given that we're expecting anywhere between five and 6,000 spectators.”

These numbers are expected despite a few sports having to pull out.

One of those sports is the snowboard-cross, a major attraction at the Games. A fire at the Calabogie Peaks ski hill in early January destroyed the pump house required for the hill's snow-making operations.

“It's a really dynamic sport, and it attracts quite a following. That was was unfortunate,” Emon said. “But it's such a complex course to design, and you need the blowing snow to really form the course and then and the the obstacles and the jumps. So, it just wasn't possible.”

Regardless, the Warden is confident they'll pull off a great event, saying they have already dedicated more than 100,000 volunteer hours over the last few years.

Featured events include artistic swimming, curling, fencing, field hockey, judo, ringette and speed skating, just to name a few. A full list of sports and a schedule can be found on the Renfrew County Ontario Winter Games website.

Listen to the full interview with Renfrew County Warden Peter Emon on Wake Up with Rob Snow below.