A bid representative says half a dozen other communities have voiced interest in being part of a Hamilton group’s pursuit of the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
PJ Mercanti, CEO of Carmen’s Group, notes that the bid group recently reached out to other communities, as it works to regionalize the bid and keep costs down by maximizing the use of existing infrastructure.
“We are looking at engaging Six Nations for lacrosse,” said Mercanti, during an appearance on CHML’s Good Morning Hamilton on Monday.
“There’s been a lot of support from Niagara, a lot of support from Kitchener-Waterloo, and Burlington and Milton.”
Mississauga is also proposing to stage three sports competitions — martial arts, cricket and three-on-three basketball — as part of Hamilton’s bid.
The Hamilton100 Bid Committee is accepting venue and sport proposals until the end of January, as it works to finalize the bid later this year. The 2030 Games are expected to be awarded in 2023.
Mercanti stresses that Hamilton would still be “home base” for the games, with rugby at Tim Hortons Field, beach volleyball at Confederation Park, aquatics at McMaster University and road cycling in Ancaster all part of the vision.