Ontario 55+ Winter Games hosted by Orillia expected to bring $1.5M to local economy
The countdown to the 2024 Ontario 55+ Winter Games is officially on.
The games will be held at various locations across Orillia, Rama and Oro Medonte, with 850 participants expected to attend across nine sports, including alpine and Nordic skiing, hockey, curling and more.
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The event is expected to bring $1.5 million in economic activity to the region.
Preparations for the games have been underway for nearly a year, with 150 volunteers from the Orillia area helping out.
"We are in the final stages of preparation, thankfully. There are a lot of little pieces that still need to come together. We're finalizing the accommodations list for the participants and game schedules for the tournaments themselves, but things are all coming together," said Will LaFrance, Orillia 2024 Ontario 55+ Winter Games general manager.
Andrew Doble, Horseshoe Resort's Nordic Centre manager, noted how excited they are to have the event at the Barrie ski resort.
"It's great to see participation from every age, from the very young all the way up to the much older. So we're always happy to host events here because it's great to get people involved in sport."
The City of Orillia has hosted the junior winter games in the past, but this is the first time it is hosting the 5+ event.
The games will take place from February 6 to February 8.
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