Edmonton is starting to host more major sporting events, even recently some FIFA matches and WNBA basketball.
Now the city is looking ahead to 2030, hoping to add to that list with a unique event that’s more than just a competition. Edmonton has submitted its bid for the 2030 Gay Games.
“I think all of us who live in Edmonton know how inclusive and wonderful a city it is, but it really gets to put us on the map,” said Dr. Kristopher Wells, Canada Research Chair for the public understanding of sexual and gender minority youth.
“The games are really for everyone regardless of your sexual orientation or your gender identity. They’re to celebrate inclusion in sports and the benefits of getting out and participating in recreational athletic activities.”
Even though all eyes are on Paris 2024 right now, many in the city are looking ahead to Edmonton 2030.
The games, just like the Olympics, feature thousands of athletes from around the world. For 10 days, athletes compete in sports that are in both the summer and winter Olympics.
Every four years, the event is held in a new city.
Edmonton is one of 10 cities that made it to this stage in the bidding process and they are up against some well-known destinations.
Those cities are:
- Adelaide, Australia
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Denver, Col.
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Melbourne, Australia
- Perth, Australia
- Taipei, Taiwan
- Vancouver
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Jay Rotteveel with Team Edmonton, a group that supports LGBTQ2 sports and recreation in Edmonton, says their organization was sought out to help put this bid package together.
“The City of Edmonton and Explore Edmonton approached our community and said, ‘Hey look, we need to get consultation on this to put this bid together and make sure that everyone in the community is involved.’ And a bunch of us in the community, all different stakeholders, we all got together and put together the initial bid,” said Rotteveel.
“Edmonton as a city, we want to be this inclusive, diverse place. We have world-class facilities here in Edmonton. I think it’s a no-brainer for us to be able to host these kinds of events. It’s going to be huge for the city because the last games brought in close to $35 to $50 million for the host cities.”
If Edmonton lands the games, not only will the city play host to thousands of athletes, but also an untold number of people coming to support them.
The Gay Games would utilize many, if not all, of the city facilities for the events.
The committee suggests that Edmonton would have 13,000 guest rooms available for visitors and they have already partnered with 51 hotels in the city.
Ward Nakota Isga Coun. Andrew Knack says this event brings a lot of economic potential.
“Think about the impact to local businesses, hotels, restaurants, and stores that will have people and family members who are looking to do things when they’re not competing. Anytime the city can look to host a major sporting event or a major event of any sort, it’s something that we regularly try to push for,” said Knack.
The formal bidding papers were submitted on Aug. 1. In terms of the next steps, the city’s bid committee will fly to Washington, D.C. to present the bid in October. A shortlist of three cities will be announced in December.
“This isn’t just about and for the 2SLGBTQ+ community. This is for our city, our province, our country and to send the message that pride is something we need to celebrate and we need to showcase,” said Wells.
Ahead of the games, Edmonton will host the Canadian Pride Curling Championship in April, which will attract LGBTQ2 teams from across the country.
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