DATE: August 5, 2014 REPORT NO. CD2014-130 TO: FROM: Chair and Members Committee of the Whole Community Services Gregory Dworak, General Manager Community Services 1.0 TYPE OF REPORT CONSENT ITEM [ ] ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION [ X ] 2.0 TOPIC Changes to Ontario ParaSport Games Bid 3.0 RECOMMENDATION A. THAT staff report CD2014-130 dated August 5, 2014 regarding the change in date and format of the Ontario ParaSport Games 2017 Bid BE RECEIVED; and B. THAT the municipality continue to PROVIDE in-kind support by Brantford Transit in the amount of up to $22,000.00 for the 2017 Games to be used for the delivery of accessible transit services for the participants from the athletes village to various sport competition venues, as approved in staff report CD2013-166; and C. THAT City Council ENDORSES that the City of Brantford will be a deficit guarantor for two-thirds of any deficit for the 2017 ParaSport Games; and D. THAT the City Clerk BE AUTHORIZED to provide a letter advising the Ontario Sports Alliance of City Council s resolution regarding the City s commitment as a deficit guarantor; and E. THAT the City Clerk BE DIRECTED to include the selection of a representative of City Council to serve on the Community Ontario ParaSport Games Steering Committee for the 2017 Games, as part of the Caucus meeting when Council Member appointments are considered for the upcoming term of City Council. 4.0 PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to inform Council of the results of the Ontario ParaSport Games bid; outline the changes in the potential dates, and request Council s continued support for hosting the 2017 Ontario ParaSport Games.
August 5, 2014 Page 2 5.0 BACKGROUND 5.1 Ontario ParaSport Games Bid: Brantford and the County of Brant submitted a bid in January of 2014 originally to host the 2015 Ontario ParaSport Games. Staff reports were brought forward in September 2013 (CD2013-166) to request support for the bid, and in March 2014 (CD2014-049) to request a deficit guarantor letter. The Sport Alliance of Ontario has awarded the bid for the Ontario ParaSport Games to Brantford/County of Brant but the date would change to February 10 12, 2017. The original date for the Games was May 29 31, 2015. Staff members have consulted with the accommodation providers in the community to soft block hotel rooms for the new date. Staff have also contacted and booked all facilities involved with the new date for the event. 5.2 Reason for Changes: After an extensive bid process, site review and evaluation, Sport Alliance of Ontario (SAO) Board of Directors approved a recommendation to award Brantford/County of Brant the Games. While this recommendation was approved, SAO and ParaSport Ontario (SO) were also conducting meetings and surveys with the Provincial and Multi-Sport Organizations (P/MSOs) regarding the new timeline of the Ontario ParaSport Games which currently takes place annually in May/June. The following results came out of the meetings and surveys that have taken place to date; The timeline which was implemented in 2013 did not meet the needs of athlete development for the P/MSOs. P/MSOs indicated that they would NOT participate in the Games if the timeline remained the same as in 2013. It would be most beneficial to move the Games to a winter timeframe (February). It would be most beneficial to deliver the Ontario ParaSport Games in the opposite year of the Ontario Winter Games (due to sports that compete in both). Winter 2015 was not feasible do to the short planning timeframe. Winter 2016 or 2017 were being considered and future consult with the P/MSOs would continue to take place. The P/MSOs have also been consulted to evaluate if the Ontario Winter Games should move back to an odd year cycle so that the Ontario Winter and Ontario summer Games are in opposite years.
August 5, 2014 Page 3 This feedback has resulted in the decision by the Sport Alliance of Ontario to change the date of the next Ontario ParaSport Games to a winter competition taking place in February 2017. 5.3 Council Support: As part of the municipal participation in the 2017 Games, staff is also asking Council s continued support in the provision of accessible transit services to shuttle the athletes to various sport venues from their accommodation headquarters or athletes village, as previously approved in September 2013 (Report CD2013-166). To offset the cost of hosting the event staff have already outreached to the County of Brant, and both the federal and provincial levels of government to begin to research applicable funding opportunities that the City of Brantford could leverage. Council also endorsed a recommendation to provide a deficit guarantor letter for two-thirds of any deficit, should Brantford/Brant be selected as the host of the 2015 ParaSport Games (Staff Report CD2014-049). Council s continued support is required in order to provide a revised deficit guarantor letter reflecting the change of date to 2017. 5.4 ParaSport Games History: ParaSport Ontario has played an integral role in the development of athletes with disabilities in Ontario over the past 20 years through the establishment of a multisport games program. Established as a not-for-profit organization in 1981 and incorporated in 1988, ParaSport Ontario is affiliated with ParaSport Clubs across the province that represents over 1,800 athletes. These athletes are given the opportunity to compete regionally and at the provincial level at the Games. ParaSport Ontario works in collaboration with host communities and 12 different provincial multi-sport organizations in delivering summer and winter Games. The Sport Alliance of Ontario manages the bid process for five provincial Games including the ParaSport Games. The Games have been hosted throughout Ontario for 36 years. The City of Brantford hosted the first games in 1977 and then again in 1984. Most recently the Games were held in Northumberland County this past May with just under 300 athletes and coaches. Brantford staff attended the Northumberland County ParaSport Games at the end of May 2014 and attended the VIP Opening Ceremonies and each of the sports offered throughout the weekend.
August 5, 2014 Page 4 6.0 CORPORATE POLICY CONTEXT The Ontario ParaSport 2017 Games opportunity supports the Strategic Priority Goal 1: Economic Vitality & Innovation by promoting sport tourism as an economic driver. Enabling Brantford citizens and visitors the opportunity to enjoy a full range of well-supported and maintained arts, heritage, culture, sports and recreational facilities and programs is one of the long-term desired outcomes under Goal 2: High Quality of Life & Caring for All Citizens in Brantford s Community Strategic Plan. It also aligns with the approved Economic Development Strategy that identifies as a recommendation the need to accelerate the growth of sport tourism through the strategic marketing of new municipal sports infrastructure and bid & hosting opportunities. 7.0 INPUT FROM OTHER SOURCES The bid lead for the City of Brantford is the Economic Development & Tourism Department; however, implementation of this event will also involve the critical participation of the Parks & Recreation Department as per the approved Municipal Sport Bid and Hosting Policy (CD2010-022); the input of the Special Events Action Team (S.E.A.T.); the guidance of the Brantford Accessibility Advisory Committee; and the support of Brantford Transit. The City of Brantford will act as the lead coordinator, however in-kind and financial support for the application is being sought from the County of Brant. The County of Brant Council will be reviewing this new date opportunity at their upcoming September 8, 2014 Corporate Development Committee and then to Council on September 23, 2014. Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nations will be involved with the VIP reception and the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2017 ParaSport Games. Local sport organizations and the broader community will be approached to offer in-kind assistance and participation on the planning committee; help as volunteers/ambassadors; and coordinate obtaining corporate sponsorship for the Games. Other advice and input will continue to be gathered from: MPP, Dave Levac MP, Phil McColeman ParaSport Ontario Sport Alliance of Ontario
August 5, 2014 Page 5 Ministry of Economic Development Trade & Employment Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Sport Kingston - Economic Development & Tourism Department Northumberland County - Economic Development & Tourism Department Tournament Capital of Ontario Board Jenny Sawicki Coordinator, Municipal Accessibility Plan, Property Management Department Canadian Hearing Society Lansdowne Children s Centre W. Ross Macdonald School School Boards (local) Parks and Recreation Special Olympics - Brant Chapter All related local sport organizations and leagues that will be featured as one of the sport competitions in the 2017 Games 8.0 ANALYSIS 8.1 Number of Participants: The Ontario ParaSport Games will be held in February of 2017 with an estimated 468 participants including athletes, coaches/managers, support staff and officials who take part in the three days of the competition featuring ten different sport genres. Accompanying the athletes on average are one to two family members who also attend the event, which will result in additional 675-900 visitors to the Brantford area over the three days of the competition. The number of participants is not expected to change greatly as a result of moving the games from May to February. 8.2 Sport Competitions and Venues: As a result of changing the dates of the games from May to February, there are some minor changes to the expected sports that would be included in the Games. Para Nordic, Para Alpine and swimming events will be included, while Track & Field and Lawn Bowling events will not take place. The following sport genres will be featured in the competition of the Games: Potential Sport List 2017 Ontario ParaSport Games: Sport Para-Equestrian Boccia Sledge Hockey Total Participants including athletes, coaches, managers and support 30 (County of Brant) 29 (will take place in small gym at Gretzky Centre) 69 (Gretzky Centre or Brant County)
August 5, 2014 Page 6 Wheelchair Basketball Wheelchair Rugby Swimming Para Alpine Goalball Para Nordic Wheelchair Curling Total 49 (high schools) 45 (high schools) 86 (Gretzky Centre, 25M pool) 30 (Outside community optional to host this sport) 37 (W Ross MacDonald School) 53 (Grand River Conservation Areas) 40 (County of Brant) 468 or (415 without Para Nordic) Key municipal facilities are included in the bid such as the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre and Lions Park, there is also an opportunity to engage local high schools and college venues (gymnasiums); the W. Ross Macdonald School; the Boys & Girls Club of Brantford; Steve Brown Sports Complex; City and County trail system, local Conservation Authority and local Curling Clubs, in both the City and County. The County of Brant is investigating the opportunity to host competitions at the Brant Twin Pad Arena and an indoor Equestrian farm. 8.3 Transportation: As outlined in Staff Report CD2013-166 the host community is required to provide accessible transportation from the athletes village to the sport venue competitions throughout the City and the County. The City of Brantford Transit services have been engaged in preliminary discussions about this opportunity and the associated costs; ($110.00 per hour, per bus). The offering of specialized transportation services and scheduling support for the Games can be provided by Brantford Transit. The host is also responsible for covering the costs of transportation of the athletes who travel more than 500 km away that come to the Games via air, train and or bus and ensure that they are picked up and taken back from their specific points of entry. Local specialized transportation providers will also be asked to participate and support the Games in terms of longer haul distances that are required to transport the athletes to and from points of entry. This is a critical component of the overall Games implementation and has an estimated cost of between $ 15,000 - $ 22,000 pending the number of athletes who register, their transportation needs, and the location of each of the competition sites in relation to the athletes village. 8.4 Volunteers: The details of additional expectations and planning requirements identified as important for the effective hosting and management of the Ontario ParaSport Games remain unchanged. This includes: - The creation of a Games Organizing Committee (GOC)
August 5, 2014 Page 7 - Community engagement and volunteer recruitment - The involvement of the Brantford Accessibility Advisory Committee and the Co-coordinator of the Municipal Accessibility Plan 9.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS The total budget based on input gathered from previous host communities and the Sport Alliance of Ontario is estimated to be $246,500 which includes both cash and in-kind revenue and includes a community legacy in the amount of $21,000 as a result of hosting the 2017 Games. (Refer to Appendix A Sample Budget) Staff does not anticipate a deficit for the 2017 ParaSport Games. However if this should occur, a contingency would be to fund the deficit from the Economic Development & Tourism Marketing Reserve Fund. This reserve was established to fund marketing initiatives, including the support of one-time economic development and tourism activities. Expenditures include the athlete s village accommodation; food services; medical/health & safety; promotions; special events; sport venues fees, equipment and medals; accessible transportation; and volunteer services. Staff will investigate all possible opportunities to generate revenue from nonmunicipal sources. Revenues to off-set the costs of hosting the games include a hosting grant from Sport Alliance of Ontario in the amount of $60,000; registration fees from the participating athletes; sponsorship and local fundraising; plus municipal in-kind contributions for transportation services in the amount of up to $22,000. Additional financial support is required from both the City of Brantford s Economic Development & Tourism Department s marketing reserve fund ($10,000) and the County of Brant Community Services Tourism Department ($5,000). Staff have outreached to both the MP office of Phil McColeman and MPP office of Dave Levac to begin to identify applicable funding opportunities from senior levels of government to assist with the 2017 Games. Permission to submit applications will be brought forward to Council for consideration as they arise. 10.0 CONCLUSION The City of Brantford s Economic Development & Tourism Department has developed a strong relationship with the Sport Alliance of Ontario through participation in the annual Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance Sports (CSTA) Congress marketplace. From this connection the opportunity for Brantford and area to host the Ontario ParaSport Games in 2017 was identified and subsequently staff has used the approved Municipal Sport Bid & Hosting Policy as a guideline to bring this opportunity forward for Council consideration.
August 5, 2014 Page 8 Council has already demonstrated its support for hosting the ParaSport Games, and continued support is needed to successfully host the event in 2017. The County of Brant is an active partner and has agreed to support this event in several ways including; financial, deficit guarantor, volunteers and hosting a minimum of three of the 10 sport competitions. The Ontario ParaSport event will provide an opportunity to not only drive potential economic benefit to the community as a host location but will also be a catalyst to dispel misconceptions and myths regarding individuals with disabilities. The long-term benefit of this legacy for all citizens is truly significant. This event will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase Brantford and area as the Tournament Capital of Ontario to all athletes. Donna Clements Tourism Business Development Officer Economic Development & Tourism Gregory Dworak, RPP, MCIP General Manager, Community Services Nicole Drake Acting Manager, Tourism & Marketing Economic Development & Tourism Appendix A: Estimated Budget for the 2017 ParaSport Games In adopting this report, is a by-law or agreement required? If so, it should be referenced in the recommendation section. Bylaw required [ ] yes [ x ] no Agreement(s) or other documents to be signed by Mayor and/or City Clerk [ x ] yes [ ] no Is the necessary by-law or agreement being sent concurrently to Council? [ ] yes [ x ] no
August 5, 2014 Page 9 Appendix A: Estimated Budget for the 2017 Ontario ParaSport Games Expenditures Accommodations $50,000 for athletes, coaches, managers and officials Administration $7,000 Postage, telephone, supplies, insurance etc. Food Services - coaches, athletes, managers & officials $45,000 Medical $1,500 Physiotherapist, chiropractor, massage therapists Promotions French and English translation of Public Information/promotion and communication in relationship to the games Registration and Accreditation - Teams and athletes Special Events VIP Reception, Opening Ceremonies, Medal Presentations, Banquet Sport Venues Equipment Medals $33,000 $ 6,000 $ 5,000 $20,000 $5,000 $25,000 $44,000 Transportation accessible for athletes Internal between accommodations/events $15,000 - $22,000 $22,000 Volunteers Recognition Event Clothing Recruitment $ 2,000 $ 2,500 $ 750 $ 750 $6,000 Training Total $225,500 Revenues Hosting Grant - Sport Alliance Ontario $60,000 Transportation, accommodations., meals, facility rentals, medical, Special events, promotions, GM salary, committee expenses, tech requirements, and equip; French translation of public documents volunteers and staff Registration Fees $49,500 Potential Contributions Economic Dev. & Tourism Dept. City of Brantford Municipal In-Kind Services (Brantford Transit) Comm. Services - Tourism County of Brant Brantford Hotel Association Trillium Grant $10,000 $22,000 $ 5,000 $10,000 $30,000 $77,000 Sponsorship/ Fundraising $60,000 Total Revenues $246,500 Less Total Expenses $225,500 Total Projected Legacy $21,000